On These Wings, I Fly
by Cobalt Dreams
Summary: Hermes wasn't born a messenger; he was born a deceitful thief who, on the day he was born, stole his brother's sacred cows. This is a story of love, betrayal, and friendship. Contains slash, a Norse god, royalty, and a war. Being redone.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

_"...Afterwards they two [Apollo and Hermes], the all-glorious sons of Zeus turned the cows back towards the sacred meadow, but themselves hastened back to snowy Olympus, delighting in the lyre. Then wise Zeus was glad and made them both friends. And Hermes loved the son of Leto continually, even as he does now, when he had given the lyre as token to the Far-shooter, who played it skilfully, holding it upon his arm...and Apollo, son of Leto, swore to be fellow and friend to Hermes, vowing that he would love no other among the immortals, neither god nor man sprung from Zeus, better than Hermes: and the Father sent forth an eagle in confirmation." -_Homeric Hymn to Hermes, 503-549

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><p><strong>On These Wings, I Fly<strong>

**Prologue**

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><p>It was dark and stormy in Arcadia, but in a cave on Mount Cyllene, the mountain nymph Maia was warm and dry.<p>

It was merely a day after her relations with the king of the gods, Zeus, but already she was feeling the beginnings of birth pains. _A boy, _she thought as she leaned against the wall of the cave. _It will be a boy. _She felt a kick against her stomach, almost as if the child was agreeing.

She took a deep breath and began to push. It didn't take long, and soon her son was resting on the floor of the cave. He didn't cry, but simply looked up at her with something akin to interest. Black, curly hair was matted to his head. His eyes shone green in the dim light cast by the lone torch. "Hello," Maia greeted him softly, beginning to swaddle him in blankets. When she was sure that he was warm, she laid him back down before settling next to him with a tired sigh. Within minutes, she was asleep.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

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><p>As a full-blooded Greek god, the new baby was maturing rapidly. He squirmed around in his blankets, attempting to get loose. His stomach was rumbling, and he sensed fresh meat nearby.<p>

When he finally freed himself from the blankets, he sat up and gazed around. His mother was sleeping peacefully, curled beneath a blanket. Only her dark head was visible. The baby smiled in her direction before standing up on wobbly legs and making his way out of the cave.

The rain had passed, and the sun was just beginning to come out. The child looked around at the new world in admiration before continuing on his way. Soon, he was off the mountain and in a vast valley where a large herd of golden cattle was grazing.

_These animals would make a wonderful meal, _he thought, gazing up at the golden heads. _But how can I keep their herdsman from discovering that I stole them?_

Then it came to him. He would drive the cattle backwards, creating a trail that would be sure to confuse anyone who saw it.

The baby smiled, pleased with his own brilliance, and climbed onto the back of one of the animals. With the power of his mind, he commanded them to begin walking backwards.

It wasn't long before they arrived at a river crossing, and the baby decided to stop. Climbing off of his makeshift steed's back, he rested his hands on his small hips. He was still hungry, and he had another idea. With a grin, he transformed a nearby rock into a sharp knife and slaughtered two of the fifty cattle. The child carved into the animals, disemboweling them and separating the meat into equal portions.

There was a portion for each of the twelve Olympian gods.

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><p>After lighting a fire, he cooked his own share of the meat and ate it quickly, easing the rumble in his stomach. After he finished eating, he found himself gazing at the piles of the cattle's entrails and then at a nearby tortoise shell. Surely he could make use of the items. It seemed like such a waste to just leave them there.<p>

The baby wobbled over the entrails, gathered them up, and then retrieved the tortoise shell. Maybe if he used the entrails as strings…

He wrapped them around the shell as tightly as possible, creating taut cords, and tied them together at the back of the shell so that they remained in place. When he was finished, he gave the cords an experimental strum, and giggled with delight at the ensuing music.

The baby clutched his new instrument as he drove the remaining forty-eight cattle in a nearby cave and then made his way home.

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><p>Night had begun to fall before anything happened. The baby was safe in his cave, once again swaddled in his blankets. His mother was once again asleep, though she <em>had <em>been waiting for him when he arrived to tell him that the gods were probably _not _going to be amused by his devilish antics.

The baby had just begun to doze off when he heard the sound of footsteps outside the cave's entrance. He was instantly alert.

Light began to flood the cave even though it was the middle of the night, and the baby squinted his sensitive eyes. It took a few seconds before he could see that there was a figure standing inside the cave.

His first thought was _gold. _Everything about the newcomer was golden, from his long hair to the robes he was wrapped in. The baby stared with wonder at the stranger. His mother didn't stir.

The stranger moved forward. As he came closer the baby could see that he had a bow-and-arrow strapped to his back and that his eyes, which were now scanning the cave, were bright blue. His mouth was set in a thin line; clearly, he was angry.

Instinctively, the infant shrunk down inside his blankets and squeezed his eyes shut.

He heard the rustle of robes as the stranger moved. He was coming closer. The baby could now feel the power of this mighty person as though it were coming off him in waves. And then—

"I know you're awake," a cold voice said. "Open your eyes."

The baby did as told, and saw that the newcomer was squatting down next to him. His eyes were narrowed.

"Did you honestly think that you could fool me with your childish tricks? I have the gift of divination. I knew you're the thief who stole my herd. The gods will call you the prince of robbers."

Then this stranger was one of the twelve powerful gods of Olympus.

The baby gulped but blinked up at him, trying to maintain an innocent expression.

The golden-haired god tilted his head, and if it was possible, he looked angrier than before. "I know that you can speak! Now tell me, or I shall cast you into the deepest pits of Tartarus: _Where did you hide my herd_?"

The baby hesitated, but finally spoke. "I do not know who stole your sacred cows, but it wasn't me. I was just born this morning. I can't even walk. The only things I care for are warm blankets and sleep. If you don't believe me, I will swear an oath on my father's head."

The god's eyes narrowed further. "Your words are very crafty, Prince, and so innocent that people less knowledgeable than I be would most surely believe you, but I am no fool. I know you are lying. You are coming with me."

The baby shrugged (as much as he was able to, being swaddled in blankets), and the god picked him up none-too-gently. As he walked, the infant noticed how the god's long hair hung over his shoulder. He freed his arm from the blankets and reached forward, grabbing the tresses and pulling lightly. "Ooh," he cooed at the feel of the soft hair. He reached up to grab another strand, but the god scowled and pushed his hair behind his shoulder.

"'Tis not polite to grab at someone's hair, little one," he growled.

The infant pouted up at him and crossed his arms. The god rolled his eyes in response.

"Is it really just because of your cows that you are so angry with me?" Hermes asked, looking injured.

"I _was _angry because of my cattle," the god snapped. "_Now _I am angry that you are attempting to deceive me with your pretty words."

It was then that the baby noticed that they were no longer in the cave.

"Apollo!" a booming voice called out.

The baby struggled to sit up in the god's—Apollo's?—arms. Looking around, he saw that they were in a beautifully decorated room, at the far end of which sat a large man upon a throne. He had shoulder-length blonde hair that was slightly darker than Apollo's.

"Father," Apollo acknowledged, and the infant knew then that this must be Zeus, king of the gods.

"I see that you've brought my newest son for a visit," Zeus said happily, climbing off his throne and hurrying forward. He tickled the baby under the chin. The newborn smiled up at his father.

"This little terror is your son?" Apollo asked angrily. "He stole my cattle, Father! And quite a job he did. You should have seen the tracks—they pointed towards the valley, yet moved towards the sea. And this baby's tracks were nowhere to be seen. Wondrous, is it not? Certainly the work of a genius. Yet he tells me, this new son of yours, 'I have not seen them. I did not steal them.'"

"I _didn't _steal them!" the baby protested. "I was just born this morning. How could I herd cattle? He must be mistaken! I could not lie to you, Father. Surely I am too young for stealing and lying? I swear an oath that I am not guilty. If you are my father, and if you love me, your youngest son, you will punish this audacious god for accusing me and threatening to cast me into Tartarus!"

Zeus was clearly amused by his sons' rants; he chuckled and ruffled the infant's hair before turning his dancing eyes to Apollo. "I was watching him this morning. Cunning little thing, isn't he? Just like his father!"

Apollo's face twisted into an ugly expression at his father's nonchalant attitude. The baby glanced up at him, getting a good look at the golden-haired god's face for the first time now that they were no longer in a dark cave. Apollo's face was all sharp lines; his nose was long and straight, his cheekbones were extremely prominent, his forehead was high, and his jaw was finely chiseled. At the moment, he looked like he would like nothing better than to murder the child in his arms.

The infant, realizing that he was caught, relented. He met Apollo's eyes. "Fine. I took your sacred cows," he mumbled. "But I only sacrificed two of them. The rest are in a cave."

"Sacrificed?" Apollo asked suspiciously. Next to him, Zeus looked confused.

"Yes! I split the meat into twelve parts for each of the gods," the baby said proudly.

"Twelve?" Apollo was baffled. "But there are only eleven of us. Who is the twelfth?"

Zeus was now grinning widely.

"I am, of course," the baby laughed, tugging at his brother's hair again.

Apollo opened his mouth—undoubtedly to complain about his sacrificed animals—so Zeus jumped in before he could. "I can already tell that you'll be a _hermeneus,_" he said to the baby with a wink. "So I think we will call you Hermes. As long as you show Apollo where you hid his cattle, you won't be in any trouble."

"But, Father!" Apollo protested, glaring down at his brother. "Surely he deserves to be punished!"

Zeus waved him off.

Apollo, grumbling darkly under his breath, stormed out of the room.

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><p>Hermes directed Apollo to the cave where he had hidden the golden cattle. Apollo set his newest brother on a nearby rock as he began to herd up the animals. When he spotted the remains of the two sacrificed cattle, he glanced at Hermes with befuddlement. "You actually did sacrifice them? How did you manage to do that? You're just a baby!"<p>

Hermes shrugged.

He had watched his brother for a few moments but had quickly become bored. Producing his instrument from inside his blankets, the baby began to strum out a tune that he made up as he went along. Soon, he began to add lyrics. His eyes once again found Apollo, who was moving about the cattle with his bow-and-arrow on his shoulders. "Apollo, who shoots afar," the child began to hum. "How shall I sing of you who are in all ways a worthy theme of song? My golden-tressed lord, with sweet-flowing words…"

Apollo became still as he listened to the music of the instrument and the song. Hermes sang louder, and his voice echoed beautifully throughout the cave.

When Apollo turned to face him, he was shocked to see that it was no longer a baby sitting on the rock—it was a full-grown god with dark hair that curled over his ears and bright green eyes that wouldn't have looked out of place on a cat.

Hermes stared right back at Apollo; any trace of anger on the blond's face was long gone. He looked absolutely enchanted.

"If you let me have this, you can keep my cattle," Apollo offered, looking down at the baby. Hermes nodded eagerly, and Apollo leaned down, setting him on the floor.

"Then you'll be needing this," the blonde declared, and as he spoke, a golden staff appeared in his hand. Hermes looked at it with wide eyes. The top of it was winged, with two snakes entwined along its length. Hermes handed his brother the instrument that he had decided to call a _lyre, _and Apollo handed him the caduceus.

"So we're friends, then?" Hermes asked Apollo, just to be sure.

Apollo hesitated, but nodded.

From where he was watching up in Heaven, Zeus smiled happily.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect." _-Alan Cohen

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Winged Sandals<strong>

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><p>Hermes quickly grew bored with his life in Thessaly tending cattle. He struggled to find ways to amuse himself.<p>

There was a dirt road not far away from the field in which the sacred cattle grazed. Whilst sitting on a large boulder, Hermes would watch the periodic travelers that would come down the road.

One day, when he was dozing lightly in the warm sun, he was awakened by the sound of ferocious barking. After sitting up, he blinked rapidly and waited for his eyes to adjust to the bright light. When they did, the first thing he saw was a man running down the road, shouting for help. Hot on his heels was a large dog, snapping his jaws and frothing at the mouth.

Hermes leapt to his feet and scampered from the rock. Within a minute he was running alongside the man. "Go to the left!" he shouted, and the man obeyed. When the dog veered off course in an attempt to follow, Hermes threw himself forward, cutting the animal off. The two ended up in a heap in the warm dirt, with the dog attempting to snap at Hermes' neck and the god holding him off easily. "Relax, my friend," Hermes whispered, wrapping one arm around the rabid animal's neck. He touched the dog's snout with his other hand, and within a minute, the dog's body had stopped writhing. His eyes looked dazed. Hermes rolled him over and stood up.

The man was standing a few feet away, looking on with shock. He met Hermes' eyes. "Who – who are you?" he stammered.

Hermes smiled, brushing his dirty hair away from his face. "A friend," he replied simply. He bent down and picked up the dog and his fallen straw hat, then turned and headed back to his rock.

A few minutes after sitting back down, he noticed that the dog's paws were bleeding. Hermes picked up a foot and examined it with a frown. "What did you do to yourself?" he clucked disapprovingly before thinking quickly and making a decision.

This would be his first time traveling by unearthly means (at least by himself), but even so, he didn't hesitate. Clutching the dog tightly, he closed his eyes and focused on Olympus, imagining himself there. He felt his hair flutter and heard the whisper of a breeze.

When he finally dared to open his eyes, he was met with the sight of a very baffled-looking, silver-haired man.

"Who are you?" the stranger asked.

_How many times am I going to be asked that today? _

"Um –" He decided not to answer the question, and instead asked, "Is Zeus here?"

"How did you get here?" the man demanded, ignoring the question. "Do you know where you are?"

Before Hermes could make some sort of cheeky reply, two men appeared from a corridor. Hermes recognized one of them.

"Apollo!" he called with relief.

The elder god was wearing a dark chiton and his golden hair was plaited. He looked at Hermes in confusion. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Hermes held the dog out. "He's hurt. I wanted Zeus to help me heal him."'

The silver-haired man snorted in contempt. "Apparently my brother has everyone in the world thinking he's capable of any deed."

Hermes would have answered but Apollo didn't give him the chance. He strode forward, grabbed Hermes by the collar, and dragged him into a nearby hallway.

"Don't you know anything?" the blonde hissed when they were out of earshot. "You can't just come here anytime you want!"

"Why not?"

"Hera will kill you if she finds out you're Zeus's son!"

Although Hermes understood the dilemma, it didn't make him any happier. "I'm an Olympian!" he said heatedly. "I don't want to tend cattle all day!"

Apollo sighed in frustration, fiddling with his long braid. "I'll see what I can do. Just don't barge into the palace again, okay?"

"Okay," Hermes muttered.

Before leaving, Apollo paused, examining Hermes from head to toe. As he did so, he reached forward and touched the dog's head. With a flash of golden light, the cuts on his paws healed over.

Then Apollo murmured, "Your skin got darker."

It was true. Days of sitting in the sun had given the young Olympian a very tan complexion.

Hermes raised an eyebrow at him and smirked slightly. "Is that a bad thing?"

"I didn't say that," Apollo snapped. "It's...nice."

"I will be sure to cherish that compliment forever," Hermes said seriously.

Apollo scowled before disappearing with a bright flash.

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><p>Hermes didn't see any of the gods until a few weeks later when he was sitting cross-legged on his rock, staring into space. He jumped slightly when golden light flashed across the field, but it was only Apollo, wrapped in blue robes with his hair hanging freely.<p>

Apollo joined him on the rock. "I have a present for you."

"I like presents," Hermes said, always agreeable.

The archer placed a box between them, pulling the lid off with nimble fingers. Inside were two golden sandals. The younger god didn't notice the attached white wings until he had lifted them out of the box, but when he did, he stared at them in awe before looking up at Apollo with confusion.

"Zeus has decided that you are to be our new messenger," Apollo explained quietly. "These sandals will allow you to fly between Olympus and Earth. And this..." he retrieved another box, "...will allow you to remain unseen."

Inside the second box was a winged cap. Hermes set it down and eagerly pulled on the sandals. Apollo watched with an unreadable expression.

Neither of the gods realized that beneath the earth, Hades, Lord of the Underworld, was eavesdropping. Thus, they were both understandably shocked when said lord popped out of the ground with a disturbing grin on his face.

Hermes' jaw had fallen open and didn't seem to want to close, but Apollo quickly regained his composure. "What do you want, Uncle?"

Hades smirked at him. "I see that you've been hiding the product of your father's latest escapade," he said, then made a tsk-ing sound with his tongue. "I wonder what my poor sister would think…"

He was, of course, referring to Hera, Zeus's jealous wife.

Hermes paled. It was common knowledge that Hera could be deadly when she was angered.

A brief expression of anxiety flickered across Apollo's face, but he quickly replaced it with a stoic mask. "Let me make sure I understand," he said, trying to keep his voice neutral. It would be dangerous to anger his uncle, who was almost as powerful as Zeus. "Are you threatening us?"

Hermes looked at him as though he were insane.

Hades' lip curled slightly. "I do believe that I am. You needn't worry, however. I will keep your dirty little secret in exchange for a small favor."

"And what might that be?" Apollo asked coolly.

"All I ask is that your little friend here agree to be my messenger as well. The Underworld is sadly overlooked when it comes to communication. I'm constantly feeling left out of the loop," Hades sneered. "Not that I mind all that much, but still..."

"I wonder why," Apollo muttered under his breath so that only Hermes could hear him.

"I'll do it," Hermes said after a brief pause. It couldn't possibly be as bad as being on the wrong side of one of Hera's infamous hissy fits.

With that said Hades glided forward and seized Hermes' wrist. A blue light passed between them; it caused a tickling sensation that left Hermes giggling slightly.

Upon releasing the messenger's wrist, the eldest god disappeared without another word.

"Congratulations," Apollo stated in a dry voice, staring at the spot where Hades had just been. "You've just become the second god with the ability to enter and leave the Underworld at will."


	3. Chapter 3

_"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." -Henry Miller_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Underworld<strong>

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><p>Needless to say, Hermes was reluctant to begin his new job as the messenger for the Underworld. The name alone was enough to make it seem ominous, and he couldn't shake the foreboding feeling – especially when Apollo gave him a pitying look before departing the day he'd given Hermes his new sandals. But a deal was a deal, and it was with a heavy feeling in his stomach that he strapped on his sandals the morning of his first day as herald of the gods. The last thing he did before leaving was put on his new winged cap, brushing his curly hair beneath it.<p>

His first stop was Mount Olympus (if he absolutely _had _to go visit his uncle in the Underworld, then he was going to put it off for as long as he could). This time, the throne room wasn't as empty. In fact, it was packed. Everyone in the room stopped and stared at him. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he flashed a smile at his assumed relatives and strode towards Zeus with confidence. "Good morning, My Lord," he said, bowing deeply (and dramatically).

Zeus inclined his head towards the child before glancing nervously at Hera, who was seated at his side on her own throne. She was staring at the newcomer with suspicion in her eyes. "Who's this?" she asked.

Zeus cleared his throat. "My new messenger," he replied, and then hastily spoke to Hermes before she could say anything else. "The messages you need to deliver are right there." He pointed to a pouch at the base of the throne. "You can bring me the responses tomorrow morning."

Hermes bowed once more before retrieving the pouch and turning around. He was surprised to see that the other gods were still staring at him. One goddess in particular caught his attention – her eyes were the color of mercury, and she was appraising him with a calculating expression.

Hermes mentally shook himself before taking flight. It was time to go to the Underworld.

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><p>He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but it most certainly wasn't <em>this. <em>The place looked nothing like – well, like an _underworld. _

He was standing on a grassy knoll, surrounded by water on all sides. Not far away from him were four figures, dressed in black robes. Hermes recognized one of them as Hades. "Uncle," he said, bowing.

"I've been waiting on you," Hades responded in a monotone, ignoring the greeting. He held out several scrolls for Hermes to take. But the youngest god was too busy staring around in wonder.

There was an ornate gate in the middle of the kingdom that appeared to lead to nowhere. But the oddest thing was the line of people that appeared to be wandering aimlessly on the banks of one of the rivers. Hades followed his gaze.

"That's Cocytus," the lord said. "It's the river of lamentation…where the dead who could not be ferried across are destined to wander."

"Why couldn't they be ferried across?" Hermes asked curiously, still not taking his eyes off of the blank faces of the dead.

"They couldn't pay the boatman's fare," his uncle explained. He nodded towards the shore of another river, and Hermes caught sight of a man leaning against a large boat. He was wearing a black cloak with the hood pulled over his head. His face was completely shadowed. "His name is Charon," Hades continued. "He is the son of Nyx." Then his tone became impatient. "No more questions. Deliver these." He once again held out the scrolls, and Hermes took them sheepishly. He didn't bother bidding his uncle farewell before departing, for the lord was already striding away, dark hair swinging behind him.

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><p>"What do you want?" were the first words out of Apollo's mouth when Hermes appeared in his room.<p>

Despite the rudeness, Hermes greeted him cheerfully. "Hi!"

The god of light glared at him in annoyance. He had been in the middle of writing poems.

"I'm the god of Light, Healing, Prophecy, and the Arts – not the god of irritating children like you."

Hermes looked at him with surprise. "Whoa – you really are blunt."

A small, barely noticeable smile crossed the golden-haired god's lips. "I'm also the god of truth."

Hermes decided to jump straight to the point. "I didn't come to annoy you, Apollon…I wanted to ask some questions."

"About…?"

"The Underworld."

A distasteful look crossed Apollo's face, but he remained silent. Hermes took this as an invitation to continue.

"Why is there so much water?" was the first question.

Apollo sighed. "Five rivers surround the Underworld. They separate the land of the living from the land of the dead."

"Why can't all of the gods go there?"

Apollo shrugged. "I suppose for the same reason that humans can't leave. Once you're dead, you're dead."

Hermes contemplated this for a few moments, pulling his knees close to his chest and resting his chin upon them. "I guess that makes sense," he finally conceded.

"Of course it does. Now could you please leave me alone?" His tone wasn't rude, but still too serious for the messenger's taste.

The impish god flashed a huge smile at the blonde as he leaned back into the couch and kicked his feet up. "Sorry, but I really don't feel like going."

Apollo was not known for his patience, especially when he was trying to focus. His hand inched towards the bow and arrow that was currently leaning against his desk. Hermes' eyes followed the movement, and his smile grew all the more impish. "Go ahead!" Hermes taunted. "I bet you can't shoot me!"

Anger flashed through the archer's eyes – _nobody _told him what he could and could not do – and in a split second he had grabbed the weapon, nocked the arrow, and drew it. The sharp tip of the silver arrow was pointed between Hermes' eyes. The younger god was still smiling, mischievous green eyes daring his brother to shoot.

Apollo released the bowstring – and then blinked. The arrow should have been embedded in Hermes' head, but the messenger was currently twirling the silver arrow between his fingers whilst laughing gleefully.

"How…?" Apollo began to ask, but Hermes cut him off.

"Unbelievable! You're a _horrible _archer!" Hermes declared between bouts of laugher. At these words, Apollo's eyes narrowed until they were nothing but slits. "I –" he snarled, balling his hands into fists, "—am _not _a horrible archer!"

And with that, he swooped forward, reaching out for dark-haired god.

Hermes' eyes widened comically before he turned tail and sprinted out of the room as fast as he could. He felt Apollo's fingers brush the back of his tunic and laughed delightedly.

"_And _you're slow!"

"Get back here, you annoying little brat!" the blonde cried out angrily, dodging around a very confused Athena and skidding slightly.

"Can't catch me!" Hermes chanted as he bounded into the throne room.

He had spoken too soon. As soon as he passed through the doors, he collided with a very solid Ares and was sent plummeting to the ground. He had barely made contact with the floor before Apollo grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him into the air. At the look of the red-faced, disheveled archer, Hermes began to giggle. Apollo's eyebrows rose.

Then both gods heard the sound of guffawing.

Turning around, they caught sight of Zeus slumped forward, shoulders shaking with laughter at the sight of his two sons. "Apollo," he gasped, "put down your brother!"

Just before Apollo dropped Hermes to the ground, the messenger could have sworn he saw a flash of amusement cross the blonde's eyes. He couldn't be sure, because before anything else could be said, the archer turned on his heel and strode from the room.


	4. Chapter 4

_"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." -Dr. Seuss_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Loki<strong>

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><p>Hermes had an odd standing with the gods of Mount Olympus – he was everyone's best friend and everyone's worst enemy.<p>

On one hand, they loved the changes that he brought to the palace. His bubbly, happy-go-lucky attitude was contagious.

On the other hand, he was a compulsive thief and liar. Many of the gods would often wake up to find their favorite possessions missing, or their hair styled in some ridiculous manner (or, in Ares's case, gone completely), and Hermes was never around to receive his punishment - not that Zeus would have had the heart to punish his youngest son, anyway. One of the messenger's nicknames soon became "the Trickster".

Apollo could often be heard muttering "annoying brat" under his breath with growing fondness.

Hermes was quickly growing familiar with the ways of the gods. His trips to the Underworld were resulting in his gaining a large amount of knowledge on the beliefs of the heavenly beings, and even though he wasn't allowed on Mount Olympus for long periods of time, he was beginning to feel more connected to his family.

He was a year old when he first came across gods from other cultures – in this case, a Norse god.

He had gone to Athens on an errand from Zeus, and was just getting ready to leave when he caught sight of an odd man sitting on a public bench, staring at him with narrowed eyes. He was dressed in the strangest manner that the young god had ever seen. His tunic was black and excessively baggy, and his cloak was blood red. His dark hair was straight, and each section was cut to a different length. His eyes were heavily lined with charcoal, and his face was chalk white.

The two men stared at each other for several moments before Hermes' curiosity won over. He moved towards the bench cautiously, stopping several feet away from the stranger. He could see the man's pale lips quirk into a slight smirk at this, but decided to ignore it.

"Is there a reason you're staring at me?" Hermes asked, fiddling with the pipe around his neck.

The man smiled, and Hermes didn't miss the evil glint in his eyes. "I've heard stories about you, Prince of Robbers," he said. "I wanted to see you for myself."

"But who _are _you?" Hermes pressed, dropping the pipe and crossing his arms. He _hated _to be kept in the dark.

The man stood up slowly. When standing, he was slightly shorter than Hermes. The ghost of a smile was still on his lips. "I have many names," he said casually, "but you can call me...Loki."

"Loki," Hermes repeated. It wasn't a Greek name.

"Of course it's not Greek," Loki said, amused.

Hermes blinked at him, and Loki smiled wider.

_He can read minds, _Hermes realized, slightly horrified but very much fascinated.

"I'm an _oss_," Loki explained, "which means 'god' in my language. Plural is 'Aesir', and that's what we call our pantheon. We come from up north…but I spend a lot of time traveling. Anyway!" He held out his hand. "I just wanted to get a look at the infamous Hermes," he smiled. "News of your deeds have reached as far north as the Nordic territories."

Hermes was utterly confused. Something just didn't seem right. Nevertheless, he reached out and grasped Loki's hand, giving it a firm shake. As soon as he let go, the Norse god disappeared into thin air.

"That was strange…" Hermes muttered, shaking his head before taking flight.

* * *

><p>The first thing he heard upon landing in the temple was a shrill shriek. "<em>Argh<em>!"

"What?" Hermes asked in confusion.

His question was answered when the scene came into focus.

The entire throne room was covered in white feathers – everything from the marble busts of the Olympians to Zeus himself.

Hermes turned to Aphrodite, who was standing a few feet away from him, looking very disgruntled. "What happened here?"

The goddess spat out a mouthful of feathers. "_You _happened, you little imbecile," she snapped, beginning to pluck feathers from her hair. "What is the _matter_ with you?!"

"I didn't -!" Hermes began to protest, before realizing that he was the only Olympian that had any sort of wings. He blinked. "Oh. I didn't even think I had that many feathers."

"Hermes," Zeus's voice said, and the messenger turned to face his father. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Hermes replied, for once being completely honest. "I didn't mean to do it…"

"Of course you didn't," Aphrodite said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hermes glared at his sister and crossed his arms, but before he could reply, they were interrupted by the arrival of another god. Apollo walked in singing a tune under his breath, but stopped abruptly.

"This is unexpected," the blonde said with surprise. He meant that he hadn't foreseen it. Zeus and Aphrodite both looked at him quizzically while Hermes pouted.

"Of course it's unexpected!" a new voice called out cheerfully. The four gods whirled around to see Loki, who was sprawled across Zeus's throne, twirling one of Hermes' feathers between his fingers. "I know how to get around your little _gift_, idiot."

_"You!"_ Zeus roared as Apollo's eyes narrowed. "Get out of my temple!"

But Loki only smiled and shook his head, sitting up straighter and dropping the feather. "No can do, Zeusie. I've missed you guys! What's it been, a thousand years? In fact, I've never even met the infamous Apollo." He gazed over at the archer. "Ten years old and already slaying giant snakes. Well done, kid. Anyway!" He clapped his hands and smiled at the very baffled Hermes. "I had to get a look at your new little trickster, Zeus. You understand, right?"

Zeus looked very much like a fish out of water. He opened his mouth and closed it again, staring at the Norse god that had the audacity to sit on his throne.

Meanwhile, Hermes turned to Apollo. "Who _is _he?" the messenger asked.

"I believe that his name is Loki," Apollo answered. "He's a notorious trickster."

Loki grinned at him, and Hermes couldn't help smiling back. Even though he wasn't used to being on the receiving end of pranks, he couldn't help but admire the Norse god's style.

"No hard feelings?" Loki asked, holding out a pale hand. Hermes shook his head and took the cold hand. Like last time, the Norse god disappeared as soon as he let go, and Zeus let out an angry growl. "Who's going to clean up all these feathers!" he bellowed.


	5. Chapter 5

_"No matter what gets in my way_  
><em>As long as there's still life in me<em>  
><em>No matter what, remember you know I'll always come for you<em>  
><em>I'd crawl across this world for you<em>  
><em>Do anything you want me to<em>  
><em>No matter what, remember you know I'll always come for you<em>  
><em>You know I'll always come for you."<em>  
><em>-Nickelback<em>

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 5: I'll Always Keep You Safe<em>

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful night. The only light came from the luminous moon and the twinkling stars. On Earth, Hermes was lying next to Apollo in a field surrounded by trees. Artemis had accompanied them, but had left several hours ago.<p>

Hermes was wrapped in a wool blanket, for a chill hung in the air. His face was crinkled in a frown as he looked up at the stars. Apollo had just finished pointing out the constellations to him in his quiet, melodious voice. Now he was plucking at the lyre that was balanced on his stomach, humming along to the music.

"Apollon," Hermes said suddenly. The older god stilled his hands. The last note of music lingered in the air.

"Yes, little one?"

Hermes smiled wryly at the pet name, but continued with his question. "Why won't Zeus tell Hera that I'm his son?"

Apollo was silent for a moment. Hermes turned his head and saw that the god of light was now looking at him with contemplation. His long hair spilled over his cheek like liquid gold, half hiding the devastatingly beautiful face – the face that had made mortals weep. "Because," he finally spoke. "Hera is the goddess of marriage. She gets angry when Zeus has affairs, and he doesn't want her to hurt you. He loves you, little one."

Hermes sighed in frustration. "But I want to live on Olympus, Apollo. I'm an Olympian. It isn't fair that I'm only allowed at the temple to deliver and pick up messages."

Although Apollo's face remained blank – it wasn't a coincidence that he was famous for being dispassionate – Hermes could see the change in his eyes. There was a flicker of sympathy. "I'll tell Hera that you're Zeus's son," the blonde said quietly. But there was still one thing that worried Hermes.

"Hera won't hurt me, will she?"

"I would never let anyone hurt you," Apollo said firmly, looking away from Hermes and returning his gaze to the night sky. His fingers began to move across the strings once more, and Hermes happily sang along, feeling safe by the side of his friend.

* * *

><p>But as soon as the words left Apollo's lips the next mornings, Hera's face grew redder and redder. Zeus was watching her fearfully (after shooting Apollo an expression of betrayal), and Hermes had a tight grip on Apollo's arm. Then…<p>

"What did you just say?" the queen whispered in a deadly voice. It was the same tone she'd had just before throwing Hephaestus from the heavens. Apollo straightened up, ready for a fight. Zeus fled the room.

"Apollo…" Hermes whimpered. Apollo looked at him with reassurance, before turning to his step-mother.

"It isn't his fault that your husband can't control himself," Apollo snapped. "He has just as much right to be here as you do."

"No, he doesn't," Hera snarled. She flew at Hermes, attempting to grab the small messenger. That was all it took for Apollo's fury to boil over the edge.

"You will _not hurt him_!" He shoved her away as Hermes scurried behind his back. He could feel the messenger's small hands clutching at his tunic.

The second time she made a lunge for Hermes, she found herself faced with the tip of a silver arrow. Behind it was the furious face of the far-shooter. "You will treat him like he is your own son," he said in a voice that could have frozen the sun. The archer and Hera stared at one another for several moments, brown eyes battling blue. Then with a huff, Hera shoved past the two gods and stormed through the doorway. With a roll of his eyes, Apollo shouldered the bow and turned to the trembling messenger. "I told you I wouldn't let her hurt you," he murmured, placing a warm hand on Hermes' small shoulder. His touch was comforting. A feeling of warmth and safety flooded through Hermes, and he felt himself relaxing little by little. After a moment he flew into Apollo's arms, hugging him tightly. His hands tangled in the golden hair he had always admired (despite his teasing the older god about needing a haircut), and he whispered "Thank you" in his ear.

"I'll always keep you safe, little one."

* * *

><p>After the fallout between Apollo and Hera, Hermes went to a lower part of the temple. He sat in a window, gazing out over Greece. When he glanced down, he saw a golden head descending down the stairs that were built into the side of the mountain. He smiled to himself. What better way to thank the God of Music than with a song? And so Hermes began to sing.<p>

Upon hearing the song, Apollo stopped and looked up in confusion. When he caught sight of Hermes, he shot him a radiant smile and pe pulled his bow off his shoulder, nocking an arrow, and aiming at the window that Hermes was hanging out of. Hermes raised his eyebrows as Apollo released the bowstring – but just before the arrow hit him, it disappeared. In its place was a crown of laurel leaves. Hermes caught the wreath just before it hit the ground. Caught in between the leaves was a strand of long, blonde hair. A grin broke across Hermes' face: It was a known honor to have a wreath that had sat upon Apollo's golden head.

When he looked out the window again, Apollo was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Here I stand head in hand_  
><em>Turn my face to the wall<em>  
><em>If she's gone I can't go on<em>  
><em>Feeling two-foot small<em>  
><em>Everywhere people stare<em>  
><em>Each and every day<em>  
><em>I can see them laugh at me<em>  
><em>And I hear them say<em>  
><em>Hey, you've got to hide your love away"<em>  
><em>-Beatles<em>

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 6: Persephone<em>

* * *

><p>When council was called one stormy afternoon, Hermes arrived at the palace with reluctance. As happy as he was to now be officially recognized as the twelfth Olympian, he wasn't looking forward to be glared at by Hera for the duration of the meeting.<p>

When he walked into the room, the first thing he saw was a distraught Demeter, and Athena patting her shoulder with what appeared to be sympathy. Hermes could see that Demeter's body was shaking. Her face was tear-streaked. Swallowing his questions, the curious messenger slipped into his throne. Zeus called the meeting to order. "We have a problem," he said grimly. Twelve pairs of eyes automatically wandered over to the distressed Demeter. "Persephone has been kidnapped," Zeus continued, crossing his large arms.

"Who?" Hermes whispered to Apollo, who sat in the throne next to him.

"Demeter's daughter," the archer murmured back.

"Oh."

"Who did this?" Ares demanded, leaping from his seat.

Zeus hesitated, glancing at Demeter, who had her face buried in her hands. When her father wouldn't speak, Athena stood up and looked around at the faces of her family. "Hades did it," she said, somehow managing to sound sweet and menacing at the same time. "He kidnapped her while she, Artemis and I were gathering flowers in a field near Enna."

"Then we must go search for her!" cried Hephaestus. Apollo stood up in silent agreement.

"It's too late for that," Demeter said in a choked voice, looking up. "Helios told me – Hades has taken her to the Underworld." She turned to Zeus, a plea in her eyes. "You have to help her. Please. Save my daughter."

Zeus was silent for a long moment. There was a stricken look upon his face. Then…

"I can't," he muttered. "Hades tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds. You know the laws as well as I do. There is nothing that can be done. She must stay there."

"'Nothing that can be done?'" Demeter repeated with disbelief. "You are the king of the gods! There must be something!"

When Zeus's eyes ventured over to Hermes, the messenger instantly stiffened, knowing what his father was thinking.

"I suppose I can send Hermes to make a deal…"

Demeter looked over at the youngest god, hope evident on her face. "Uh…" Hermes stuttered, not knowing what to say. Hera was staring at him with narrowed eyes. "Okay," he finally agreed, biting his lower lip and hoping that he wouldn't end up joining Hades' happy family in the Underworld for all eternity.

* * *

><p>The entrance to the Underworld was the same as always – a sunless sky, grassy knoll, and seemingly endless amounts of water. The only thing missing was Hades.<p>

Hermes turned to the ever-present judges. Up close, he could see that under their hoods, their faces were as divinely radiant as those of the Olympians.

The tallest judge lifted a hand and pushed off his hood. Dark eyes looked down at Hermes. "What is it, young one?" he said in a deep, slow voice. Hermes swallowed, but managed to say in a clear voice, "I need entrance to Hades' kingdom." With a small hand, he gestured to the ornate gates that he knew led to his uncle's domain.

The judge's eyes followed Hermes' gesture, and then flicked back to the messenger himself. "If you are not dead, you have no business in the netherworld."

"I do not want to visit the realm of the dead – not that I would need permission," he added, slightly annoyed. "I only ask to visit the House of Hades. I am on orders from Zeus."

The judge was silent for a moment. Then he gave a slight nod. Without saying anything, he strode over to the large gates, gesturing for Hermes to follow. With a slight push of his hand, the gates swung open. The judge stood aside, allowing Hermes to peer in. Nothing inside was visible – it was like one vast abyss. Blackness was all there was to see.

"Do not be frightened," the judge said in a quiet voice. "The dead would not touch one of the divine. Your light will protect and guide you. Now go, young one."

So, trying to fight off his nerves, Hermes stepped through the gateway. He could feel the darkness close in around him. The feeling of suffocation was overwhelming. But then it was over, almost as soon as it had begun.

He opened his eyes. And then blinked.

Directly in front of him was a castle, complete with ramparts, towers, a moat and a drawbridge. Packs of dogs skulked around the walls. Hermes' eyebrows lifted. Slowly, he made his way towards the drawbridge. The nearest dog lifted his head and peered at Hermes through red eyes. His nose twitched as though he were testing the air. After a moment he lowered his head and trotted off, paying the messenger no more attention. Hermes sighed with relief and returned his attention to the moat and the drawbridge, trying to figure out how he was going to get past it. After a minute of contemplating, he noticed a gap between the wall and the top of the bridge. Being somewhat slender, Hermes was sure that he could squeeze his body through. He just hoped that there wasn't anything sinister awaiting him on the other side.

Taking a deep breath, Hermes threw himself into flight. He made it to the top of the drawbridge easily enough, but now came the more difficult part. He inhaled deeply, sucking his stomach in as far as it would go. When there was no more room left in his lungs, he slipped his feet into the gap and slid down into the castle. All went smoothly until his head was the only thing left outside and Hermes discovered that his winged cap was not meant for maneuvering small spaces – it had caught between the bridge and the stone wall. Oh, no. He said a quick prayer to his father and flapped the wings on his sandals, struggling to pull himself out. And then…

"Hermes?" an incredulous voice said. Hermes stopped flapping, and his body fell against the drawbridge. He groaned loudly.

"What are you doing?" the voice demanded.

"I'm – stuck," Hermes admitted, glad that his uncle couldn't see the blush on his face. He was saved the trouble of coming up with an excuse as to why he was stuck in his uncle's drawbridge by the sudden tug on his ankles. Hermes yelped when his head sprang free of the cap. Then, with flailing arms and legs, he fell to the floor in a heap, squawking upon impact. When he looked up, he was met with the sight of a dismayed Hades. His arms were crossed, and his long black hair hung loose, falling slightly past his shoulders. Speaking of hair -

Hermes ran a hand through his curly locks, sheepishly looking around for his fallen cap. He found it laying some distance away, and crawled over to pick it up. Anything to avoid the icy look that his uncle was giving him.

"Is there a reason you were attempting to break into my house?" Hades finally said. Hermes thought quickly.

"Demeter sent me to check on Persephone."

Hades looked surprised. "Oh. Well – she's this way."

Hermes climbed to his feet and followed his uncle down a dark hallway. They emerged into a brightly lit room. The first thing that caught Hermes' attention was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She had a mane of blonde-red hair, so fine and long that it could rival Apollo's. The blue of her eyes was visible even from a distance. She was sprawled on a chair that was covered with blankets and cushions. Next to the messenger, Hades was looking at her lovingly.

Hermes shook his head to clear it, and bowed to the maiden. When he lifted his head, she was looking at him with furrowed eyebrows. "You're Hermes," she stated. He nodded, placing his cap back on his head as he moved closer.

"I come with news from your mother," he said in a low voice once he was at her side. Her eyes widened but before she could say anything, he grabbed her and scooped her into his arms. She cried out in surprise and Hermes barely heard Hades' shout of rage before he took flight. He shot down the hallway and back to the foyer, only slowing down to wiggle through the gap between the drawbridge and the wall. Once they were out of the castle, he returned to full speed. The gates were only a few meters away. He burst through them, this time prepared for the feeling of suffocation. Persephone was quiet in his arms. She began to weep only when they fell to the grassy knoll between the five rivers. Hermes looked at her with concern, brushing her hair away from her face and trying to ignore the pounding of his heart. "Don't you want to go home?" he asked, but she didn't answer.

"Zeus is waiting for you, young one," one of the judges announced. Hermes climbed to his feet, wobbling slightly. He took Persephone's hand and closed his eyes, focusing on Mount Olympus.

Ten gods were waiting in the throne room for Hermes' return. When the messenger and his charge appeared at the temple, Demeter immediately rushed for her daughter, enveloping her in a hug. Simultaneously, Hermes flew at Apollo, knocking the blonde off his feet. Slender but strong arms wrapped around the surprised archer's waist. "Um…" Apollo said uncertainly.

"I don't want to go back there," Hermes mumbled into Apollo's robes, latching on tighter.

"Are you alright?" Apollo asked, uncertainty now turning to concern (which he would later deny). Hermes nodded.

"What's going on?" asked a voice that Hermes recognized as belonging to Athena.

"I think he's traumatized," Apollo responded. Hermes merely burrowed his face deeper into Apollo's robes, inhaling the comforting scent of laurel and something else that he thought he recognized as hyacinth – the scents that he had known since he was a baby.


	7. Chapter 7

_"Some choices we live not only once but a thousand times over, remembering them for the rest of our lives." -Richard Bach_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 7: Regret and Comfort<em>

* * *

><p>Hermes thought it was ironic how tragedies could occur on such beautiful days. On this particular day, the sun was high in the sky and the sky was a clear blue. A slight breeze propelled him forward as he soared through the sky, returning from a delivery. The sea seemed to be within his reach. That was when he caught sight of two figures standing on the sandy shore – one with blonde hair rippling in the wind, and the other a brunette. Both were holding bow-and-arrows. <em>Artemis and Apollo<em>, he thought, and decided to see what they were doing.

His feet touched the ground just as Artemis dove into the sea, swimming furiously. Apollo ran after her, calling out her name, but she was already several yards from shore. "What's going on?" Hermes asked, confused. Apollo didn't answer. His blue eyes were fixed on the small form of his twin, who was now swimming for shore. She was dragging with her what appeared to be – "A body?" Hermes exclaimed, now alarmed. When the huntress swam closer, the two gods on shore were able to see the trail of blood-stained water that she left behind her. Hermes ran forward to assist her, grabbing the corpse underneath the arms and pulling it into the sand. Instead of climbing to her feet, Artemis crawled towards the lifeless man, tears dripping down her face with the water of the ocean. She laid her head on his chest and wept quietly.

The man, who had been beautiful in life, now had a silver arrow embedded in his head. Automatically, Hermes' eyes lifted to Apollo in accusation. The god was staring at the corpse in stony silence. Then Artemis lifted her head. "How could you do this?!" she shouted at Apollo, who seemed to break out of his trance. He lifted his head and looked at his sister.

"How could I _not _do this?" was the heated response. "He wasn't good for you, Artemis. You are a chaste huntress – a _goddess—_and he is just a mortal. How could you love a mortal?"

"Who are you to decide what is good for me?" she demanded. "I can take care of myself!" And with that, she grabbed the lifeless body by the arms and dragged him into the forest, leaving Hermes and Apollo alone.

After several moments of silence, Hermes asked, "Who was he?"

"His name was Orion," Apollo muttered. "I – I tricked her into killing him." The truth spilled from his lips, and he looked down, shamefaced. Hermes stared at his bowed head in shock.

"How could you do that?" the messenger finally whispered.

"He was a mortal. He didn't deserve her."

Hermes opted not to answer, knowing that it would be pointless to argue with one of the most stubborn gods.

After a moment, Apollo fell to his knees. His hair spilled forward, hiding his face, but Hermes could see that his body was shaking. Moments later, the sounds of bitter sobbing could be heard. Regret was not an emotion that this god, normally so sure of himself, was used to. Now he was feeling the full force of it.

Hermes didn't speak, but crawled forward until he was sitting by the other. He leaned into the archer's side, offering comfort in the only way he could think of. Apollo didn't look up, but he wrapped his arms around the messenger's slender body, holding him close.

"Apollon," Hermes whispered after several moments. "Why did you do it?"

"I didn't want to lose my sister. I love her too much for that to happen."

Hermes lifted his head and stared into those blue eyes seriously. "Do you really think that she would have loved you less? Nobody could come between the celestial twins." Hermes smiled playfully.

Apollo pursed his lips and Hermes took his hand, squeezing it gently. "She will never love anyone more than she loves you, Apollo. Remember that." And with that said, the messenger climbed to his feet and took flight, leaving the archer alone on the beach.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen before Hermes saw Apollo again. He was in his room, tapping a reed pen against his chin and trying to decide on the rules of track and field. He frowned at the sheet of papyrus in front of him, trying to decide what would be better – a fifty meter dash or a one-hundred meter dash. He decided on the one-hundred. Just before he touched the pen to the paper, a voice said, "Hermes."<p>

"Bah!" Hermes gasped, knocking over his jar of ink as he jumped up. Apollo was standing behind him with both eyebrows raised.

"You startled me," Hermes muttered, turning around and scowling at his ruined paper and the ink dripping from his desk onto the stone floor. _Hestia's going to kill me. _

"I'm sorry. But I wanted to stop by and say – thank you."

"For what?" the messenger asked, searching around for something to mop up the ink with. He snorted when Apollo produced a cotton cloth from seemingly nowhere and handed it to the younger god.

"For staying with me. Trying to comfort me. Most people would have left. So – thank you." He hesitated over the last two words again, and Hermes smiled. It was hard for Apollo, who was the definition of independent and powerful, to admit that he needed comfort.

"Think nothing of it," Hermes said warmly, looking up from where he was kneeling on the floor. He held up the now-inky cloth. "Did you want this back, by the way?"

Apollo eyed the offered rag, and his mouth twisted into a grimace. "Definitely not."

Hermes smirked. "Aww – is little Apollon afraid of the ink?" he said mockingly.

"I'm not –!" Apollo began to protest, but he stopped when Hermes flew to his feet faster than a person could blink. The messenger was wearing the wicked grin that had quickly become his trademark and holding out the inky cloth as though it were a weapon. Apollo backed away, narrowing his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"It's going to get you!" Hermes cried, dashing towards Apollo with a cackle. The blonde shouted, turning on his heel and sprinting out of the room. "You brat!" the archer screamed. "I take it all back! I – hate - _you!"_


	8. Chapter 8

"_We're both looking for something_  
><em>We've been afraid to find<em>  
><em>It's easier to be broken<em>  
><em>It's easier to hide<em>  
><em>Looking at you,holding my breath,<em>  
><em>For once in my life, I'm scared to death,<em>  
><em>I'm taking a chance, letting you inside."<em>

_-Lifehouse_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 8: The Unnamed Chapter<em>

* * *

><p>The next time Hermes saw Apollo, the messenger was sitting on a riverbank with Loki. The two were munching on fresh apples, telling stories of past pranks. Hermes had been enthusiastically telling the story of how he had stolen all of Aphrodite's clothes when a flash of golden light alerted them to the presence of another Olympian.<p>

"Hi, Apollo," Hermes greeted him, taking a bite of apple. Apollo bowed his head in response – and then his eyes fell on Loki.

"What is he doing here?" the archer demanded, glaring at the Norse lord.

"It's a free world, blondie," was the careless response. Apollo chose not to respond, turning instead to Hermes. His annoyed expression didn't fade.

"You missed council today," he snapped. Hermes shrugged this off with ease, but Loki looked back and forth between the two Greeks with interest.

"What's wrong with him?" The Norse trickster asked.

"He's still angry that I got ink in his hair," Hermes responded, throwing his apple core aside and sending a quick prayer of thanks to Demeter. Loki laughed with delight. His mischievous dark eyes darted to the frowning archer and his immaculately braided hair. Apollo caught sight of this and snarled, "Don't even think about it!"

Loki smirked at him. Hermes sighed and looked up at the older god. "Apollo, don't be so grumpy. Aren't you supposed to be the god of reason? Or rationality? Or – well, something like that."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You aren't being very rational right now," Hermes pointed out, picking up another apple.

"I'm rational with I'm treated with respect," the older god growled, staring at Loki with accusation in his blue eyes.

"Who says I have to respect you?" Loki countered, crossing his arms. "I'm a god, too."

What happened next occurred so quickly that it would have been invisible to human eyes. Apollo began to dive at Loki with murder in his eyes – and quicker than a flash, Hermes was on his feet and in front of the blonde, attempting to restrain him.

"Get – off – me!" Apollo snarled, trying to shove the shorter god out of the way.

"No!" Hermes shouted, stubborn as always. And then the impulsive god got an idea. Clutching Apollo tighter, he threw their bodies into the air. Seconds later, they landed in a heap, arms and legs tangled.

"If you were anyone else," Apollo growled, pulling himself away from Hermes. "Hades would be deciding on your punishment _right now_!"

Hermes shot Apollo an impish smile as he sat up. "But I'm not 'anyone else'." He straightened his cap and tunic and was just about to tease Apollo about his disheveled appearance when a loud shriek echoed through the temple.

Anyone who saw the reactions of the two gods probably would have been amused…they were as different as the sun and moon. Dispassionate Apollo didn't so much as flinch, but merely lifted his head and raised a questioning eyebrow. Hermes, on the other hand, leapt to his feet and stared around with wide eyes. "What was that?" the messenger demanded.

"It sounded like one of the girls," Apollo murmured, climbing to his feet in one graceful motion and gesturing for Hermes to follow him. When the two gods entered the hallway, they caught sight of Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Athena, and Artemis standing together. "What's going on?" Hermes asked.

"It sounded like it came from Ares's room," Athena replied, and the group immediately headed in that direction. Zeus, never having been one for manners, opened the door without knocking. His family followed him in.

The sight they were met with was completely unexpected. Hermes, as usual, was the first to begin hooting with laughter.

Trapped in a net that was suspended above the large bed were Ares and Aphrodite – both completely naked. Standing below and shouting crude insults was a furious Hephaestus. Hermes could see why the blacksmith would be angry…he had been married to Aphrodite for the past several years.

When the situation before them had sunk in, the room began to echo with the laughter of the gods and goddesses. Even Apollo, normally so stoic, was snickering. But after a few moments the blonde turned to Hermes with a curious expression on his beautiful face. "Can you think of anything more humiliating," he asked, "Than to be laughed at by the gods?"

The grin didn't fade from Hermes face. He didn't need to consider the question. With a cheeky wink, the messenger shook his head. "No, I can't," he responded. "But don't you think it would be worth it to have one night in bed with Aphrodite?"

Aphrodite, still caught in the net with her lover, had heard their conversation. "Unless one of you gets me down from here _right now_," she snapped, glaring down at them with her dark eyes. "I can assure you that neither of you will _ever _have that pleasure."

Apollo and Hermes looked at each other with raised eyebrows, and then Apollo took his bow in hand. He nocked one of his silver arrows. Aiming for the rope that suspended the net from the ceiling, he released the arrow, sending Ares and Aphrodite crashing down upon the bed. Hermes strode forward, pulling out his golden knife. He cut open the net, releasing his two half-siblings.

"Finally," Aphrodite huffed, glaring around at her family, all of whom were wearing sheepish expressions. "You could have helped me instead of standing around laughing, you know." Without waiting for a reply, she marched over to Hermes. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Meet me in my room tonight," she murmured to the messenger just before she left the room. Hephaestus, Ares, and Apollo all shot murderous expressions at the youngest god, who was too dazed to notice, let alone care. It seemed that one of his wildest dreams had finally come true.

* * *

><p>Several days later, Aphrodite's belly was large with pregnancy. It was no secret to anyone who the father was. Hermes, the youngest of the twelve Olympians, had fathered his first child.<p>

The god and goddess sat in a corner, discussing their problem in low voices. Apollo watched them from afar, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm afraid if we keep the child here, Hephaestus will kill it," Aphrodite explained, placing both hands on her stomach.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Hermes asked, crossing his arms. His forehead was wrinkled with worry.

Aphrodite considered the question. A moment later, her eyes brightened. "We can give the child to Poseidon's daughters, the Naiad. They love children."

Hermes agreed reluctantly, knowing that he might never see his first child again. But the decision was made, and the next day Aphrodite left for Mount Ida, the dwelling place of the Naiad, to give birth. The child was named Hermaphroditus in tribute to both his mother and father. The only contact Hermes had with his son was through prayer.

Strangely, Apollo spent the next several years being bitter towards Hermes and Aphrodite, much to their confusion. He barely spoke to either of them. Hermes missed his friend and attempted to win him back by pulling half-hearted pranks, but this only seemed to anger the far-shooter more.

Several more years passed, during which Hermes and Aphrodite drifted apart. They now only saw each other as friends (and sometimes less than that). She gave birth to Eros, the son of Ares, who would soon come to be known as the terror of the gods, perhaps more so than Hermes. Apollo was one of the first to experience this.

Hermes had been snoozing in a treetop when it happened. He was awoken by some commotion down below. Opening his eyes and leaning forward, he caught sight of Eros on the ground, playing with a silver bow-and-arrow. Hermes blinked. There were only two gods who had such weapons, and one of them was…

"What do you think you're doing?" Apollo's voice demanded, and Hermes' eyes widened as the archer strode into the scene. _This can't be good. _Apollo, though normally reasonable and thoughtful, had been in a very sour mood lately – especially towards Aphrodite and anything to do with her. Chances were that her son would not fare any better with the angry god.

"I was just – " Eros began to reply, but Apollo didn't give him a chance to finish. He snatched the weapon away from the boy.

"You should leave the sport of archery to _men_, boy," Apollo sneered, shouldering the bow and holding his chin up high. "You might hurt yourself." Even from up high, Hermes could see the hurt that was clearly written across Eros's face. Apollo began to walk away, his robe billowing out behind him. Then he stopped and turned back to Eros with a cold expression. "Don't ever let me catch you touching my things again." The underlying threat was clear in his voice. Hermes watched as Eros straightened up, a determined expression on his young face. He picked up his own golden bow and produced two arrows from his quiver – one of gold, the other of lead. He nocked the gold arrow first and searched out the God of Light, who was again walking away. "Apollo!" Eros called, and the blonde turned around impatiently. Eros's arrow pierced his heart before the far-shooter could say anything else. Hermes covered his mouth to keep from crying out as Apollo stumbled backwards, a dazed expression on his face. Eros walked forward and ripped his arrow from Apollo's chest.

"I always thought I was rather good at archery, Uncle."

But Apollo didn't answer him. His eyes seemed to be watching something in the distance. Confused, Hermes turned around, straining to see what the archer was looking at. And then he saw them.

A group of nymphs was running through the woods, led by a laughing Artemis and her dogs. Apollo's eyes were fixed on a particularly beautiful girl with long blonde hair and flawless skin. "Her name is Daphne," Eros whispered to Apollo. And then with a smirk, he nocked his second arrow and sent it flying towards the girl just as Apollo began to run after her. Hermes watched, horrified, as the lead arrow pierced the girl's heart. She was still standing in a dazed state as Apollo approached her, his arms held out. "Daphne, my love," he whispered. But before he could get out any other words, a disgusted expression crossed her face and she turned, breaking into a sprint. Hermes dived out of the tree as Apollo ran after her, following the duo. He could hear Apollo screaming the nymph's name. "I am not a monster, my love! Please, wait!"

Daphne, closely followed by Apollo, ran right past Artemis and the rest of the nymphs, who stopped and stared in confusion. Hermes flew over the group faster than their eyes could register.

Finally, Daphne fell to the ground weeping. Apollo kneeled beside her, and Hermes, landing in a tree directly above them, saw that the archer's sapphire eyes were also filled with tears.

"Daphne, why do you run from me?" he choked out. "I am no clown, nor a rude peasant. Zeus is my father. I am the lord of Delphi, and I know everything, present and future. I am the god of song and the lyre. My arrows fly straight and true, but I have been struck by an arrow more fatal than mine." He paused, taking a deep breath. "I am the god of healing, but I suffer from something than no balm can heal." The beautiful words brought tears even to Hermes' eyes, but Daphne was unmoved.

Before Apollo could finish his plea, something amazing happened. "Lady Artemis," Daphne cried out. "Please help me. Open up the Earth to enclose me or change my form. Please don't make me suffer this way."

Apollo and Hermes both watched with amazement as Daphne's hair began to change into leaves of laurel. Her soft skin was covered by bark. Her arms became branches. When the transformation was finished, Apollo slowly walked forward and touched the bark. He felt it tremble beneath his hand, and fell to his knees before the tree. "My love," he said in a soft voice. "Of all the trees into which my sister could have transformed you, she chose the one that I wear for my crown. But from now on, it will be you that I think of whenever I place your leaves upon my head. And great Greek champions shall wear your woven leaves upon their brows. And because I am eternally youthful, your leaves shall always be green and will never decay."

When Apollo looked up, he saw the beautiful tree bow its head in a sign of gratefulness.

When Hermes got over the shock of what he had just witnessed, he climbed from the branches of his tree and landed on the ground softly, approaching Apollo from behind. After a moment of silence, Hermes whispered, "I'm sorry."

Apollo didn't look up or show any sign that he had heard Hermes. The messenger moved forward, placing one hand on the archer's shoulder and with the other arm reaching out and breaking a branch from the tree. Using nimble fingers, he braided the laurel leaves through Apollo's silken hair. "There," Hermes murmured when he was finished. "Now she is a part of you."

"Thank you," Apollo whispered in a voice that sounded broken. He reached back and grasped Hermes' wrist, pulling the messenger close. Hermes wrapped his arms around the muscular waist. "I'm sorry," the messenger said again. "You don't deserve this. I'm so sorry."

And on an impulse – _most of the things I do are impulsive_, Hermes thought wryly – the herald reached up and took the archer's face in both hands, stroking the ivory cheeks with his thumbs. "You don't deserve this," he kept repeating, and there was nothing but honesty and sorrow in his emerald eyes. Perhaps it was this that made Apollo burn with need for the god in front of him.

Hermes would never remember who initiated that kiss. The only thing he was aware of was their lips claiming each other with an intense hunger – with _need -_ that neither of them had ever experienced. Teeth clashed together in their hurry to taste one another, and tongues battled for dominance. It was a moment of pure lust.

_Pure lust, _Hermes would later tell himself, when Apollo took him back to his bedroom on Mount Olympus and threw him down on the bed, pressing his body – the body that seemed to burn with the heat of the sun – against the messenger's. It was pure lust when Apollo ripped off his tunic, kissing his neck and all the way down his torso as Hermes combed his fingers through the golden hair. "I need you tonight," the archer growled into his ear, making Hermes shiver – with desire? With anticipation? With fear? He didn't know. He didn't care.

He offered himself to Apollo when Apollo needed him the most, and he would spend the next several millennia telling himself that it had been _pure lust. _But later, he would look back and realize that Apollo was the god of reason. He almost always thought everything out before he took any course of action. So what had the archer really been feeling that night? Hermes would never know.

* * *

><p>The messenger awoke the next morning and instantly winced. His entire body was sore, and his lips felt bruised. Hermes had never laid with a man before, let alone a god. Now he knew what it felt like. It was far different than laying with a goddess.<p>

"Good morning," a musical voice that Hermes instantly recognized said. Looking up, the messenger saw Apollo standing in the doorway, looking as disheveled as Hermes felt. Somehow, it made him all the more attractive. Hermes shook his head to clear it.

"Good morning," the messenger responded in a hoarse voice, causing him to flush with embarrassment. He hastily cleared his throat as Apollo laughed lightly. When the laughter died out, Apollo walked forward and sat on the end of the bed, brushing his curly hair away from his face. He offered Hermes one of his slender hands, and the messenger took it.

"Thank you for last night," Apollo said in his soft voice. Hermes had to smile. This was much more like the Apollo that he had known when he was little – serene and thoughtful, if not a little temperamental. He had missed his friend.

"You're welcome," Hermes said, grinning. He crawled forward and hugged the archer tightly.

"So we're still friends?" Apollo murmured, hugging Hermes back.

"Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?" the messenger snorted.


	9. Chapter 9

_"So how can this be?_

_You're praying to me_

_There's a look in your eyes_

_I know just what that means..._

_I can be your everything."_

_-_In This Moment_  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Jealousy<strong>

* * *

><p>More time went by. Hermes only saw Apollo periodically, whenever he got time off from his trips around the world. For a little while, he was content. Life seemed to be good.<p>

Then one day, Zeus sent him a message inviting him home for a vacation. Eager to once again spend time with his family and friends, Hermes flew home immediately. Demeter and Persephone were sitting at the foot of the temple when he landed. He bowed in greeting, spreading his arms and tilting his head.

"Welcome back, Hermes," Demeter said, offering him a gentle smile. Persephone extended her hand for him to kiss.

"You haven't seen Apollo around, have you?" the messenger asked, releasing Persephone's hand.

"Actually, I have," Demeter replied, brushing her hair away from her kind face. "He walked by not that long ago." She pointed down the winding stairs that led to the back of the palace.

Murmuring a quick thanks, Hermes bounded down the stairs, eager to see his friend. "Apollo!" he called out.

"Hermes?" a voice responded. A moment later, the God of Light stepped out from behind a tree, holding his bow-and-arrow – but he wasn't alone. Following close behind was a young boy, who was clearly mortal and not more than sixteen years of age. Hermes stared at him before returning his gaze to Apollo. "What's going on here?" he asked the archer, his voice quiet.

"We were hunting," Apollo replied. "This is Kyparissos. Kyparissos – this is Hermes."

"Hunting?" Hermes asked, his voice slightly higher than usual. There was an odd feeling in his stomach. "Is that what they call it nowadays?" The messenger eyed the young boy, who had red marks all over his neck.

Apollo's golden eyebrows rose. A fleeting look of curiosity crossed his face. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Hermes snapped, now feeling angry without knowing why. "But I do think you're a hypocrite."

Apollo looked more baffled than upset. He had never seen Hermes angry before – especially not with him. "What?"

"You killed Artemis's lover just because he was a mortal! I seem to remember you saying those _exact _words. 'You're a goddess and he's just a mortal. How could you love a mortal?'"

"First of all, I _didn't _kill him," Apollo said through clenched teeth. "Second of all, I don't _love _Kyparissos."

"Of course you don't!" Hermes seethed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You fall in love more easily than anyone I know, Apollo!"

That did it – Apollo snapped. "Kyparissos, go home," he hissed, grabbing Hermes by the forearm and dragging him away. When he was sure they were alone, he shoved Hermes against a tree. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

"It doesn't _matter _what I'm doing!" Hermes shouted, shoving Apollo in turn. "Just leave me alone!" He began to march away, but Apollo wasn't known for giving up. With an angry growl, he grabbed Hermes by his wings, consequently pulling off his cap. The messenger whirled around angrily. "Give that back!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

"I don't know what's wrong!" Hermes yelled. _ "I don't know!"_

Apollo stared him in silence for several seconds. Then…"Are you jealous?" he asked quietly.

Hermes sighed and slid down until he was sitting in the grass. "I don't know," he said helplessly. Then he looked up at Apollo with wide eyes. "How many men have you slept with?" he asked in a strained voice.

Apollo hesitated before answering. "Three, including you. Hyacinthus was the first."

Hermes blinked. "Is that why you smell like hyacinth?"

"When he died, I turned him into the hyacinth flower." He kneeled in front of Hermes, who looked down to avoid meeting his eyes. But Apollo simply grabbed his chin, tilting his face up. "Please tell me what's wrong," he pleaded. "I can't fix it unless I know what I did."

"It's just – " Hermes struggled for words, silently cursing this weak display. His normally quick tongue had failed him. "You were my first." He whispered the words, once again casting his eyes downward.

"Hermes, look at me," Apollo commanded. When Hermes did so, he saw that the older god was smiling softly. There was nothing but kindness in his blue eyes. "If it helps," the archer murmured, "you were the first immortal I ever slept with."

When Hermes didn't reply, Apollo reached forward and tenderly brushed the messenger's hair back. Hermes shivered slightly at his warm touch. Then Apollo picked up the discarded cap and placed it back on his head. "Smile for me, little one."

Meeting his friend's eyes, Hermes managed a watery smile. Apollo leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. "Remember this," he then whispered into Hermes' ear. "No matter who else I may share my bed with, I will _always _love you."

And then with a flash of golden light he disappeared, leaving Hermes to ponder the meaning of those words. _I will always love you. _

* * *

><p>Their conversation didn't help Hermes understand why it hurt so much to see Apollo with other men, or why he reveled in the feel of Apollo's touch. He caught himself staring at the way Apollo's hair would sway when he walked, counting the different shades of blue in his eyes, marveling at the ripple of his muscles beneath his skin.<p>

After several months had passed this way, he tried to think of ways to help himself forget about Apollo. He slept with an endless amount of women, both mortal and immortal. He tried to lose himself in the feel of their soft flesh. Soon, he had fathered children in nearly every city in Europe. But he couldn't forget the way Apollo's hard chest had felt pressed against his own.

That was when he met Amphion.

He had been flying over Boiotia when he caught sight of two young men building walls around a citadel. Even from the sky, he could hear one of them singing. The sound reminded him of Apollo, and out of curiosity, he dove towards the ground, making sure to disguise himself as a traveler before approaching the boys. They barely glanced at him as he drew closer.

"Which one of you was singing so beautifully just now?" Hermes asked, gazing at them.

"That would be me," one of them said shyly, straightening up from where he had been laying bricks.

Hermes flashed him a grin. "And what is your name?"

"I'm Amphion, and this is my brother, Zethus. May I ask what your name is?"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Amphion." He held his hand out to the boy. "If it would be to your liking, I could teach you the ways of music."

Amphion took his hand, holding onto it as he responded. "I would like that very much, sir." With a smile, he added, "But you still have not given me your name."

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Hermes took a step back and dropped his disguise. The traveler's cloak fell to the ground, and with a flash of light, his golden cap and winged sandals were revealed. Unnaturally green eyes sparkled with mirth at the shock of the two brothers.

"You've look like you've seen a ghost," the messenger teased. "Or a god."

"Lord H—Hermes?" Amphion gasped.

The god nodded.

"B-but I thought Lord Apollon was the god of music?"

"Only because I taught him," Hermes snorted. "Who do you think it was that made the lyre?" As though to prove his point, he pulled a lyre out of his tunic with a flourish. Amphion eyed the instrument with hunger.

Hermes handed it to him. "I can teach you to play music so magical that no person or animal will be able to resist it," the messenger said quietly, watching as Amphion plucked the lyre experimentally. After a moment, he looked up at the winged god.

Hermes immediately recognized the desire in his eyes.

There is something about gods that mortals cannot resist. Hermes wasn't sure if it was their unearthly beauty, or perhaps some sort of aura that only immortals can emit, but either way – he used it to his advantage.

Smirking slightly, Hermes stepped forward and leaned in. "Do you want me?" he breathed into Amphion's ear.

The boy nodded.

"Then take me to bed," Hermes whispered.

Within the moment, Amphion was pressing Hermes into his bed, desperately pulling at his tunic. Hermes kicked off his winged sandals as he fumbled with Amphion's chiton, wrapping his legs around his waist to draw the boy closer. When the chiton fell to the floor, Hermes ran his hands down the toned chest, and Amphion made a keening noise that the messenger was determined to hear more of.

Lust – ten times stronger than what he had previously felt – shot through his body, and Hermes took the opportunity to slip his tongue through the boy's lips, reveling in the taste of the warm mouth. Amphion withdrew and took Hermes' plump lower lip into his mouth, and the messenger's eyes fluttered shut. Then he felt hands travel up his face, stopping at his cap. "May I?" Amphion whispered, and Hermes nodded. When he felt the boy trying to gently tug the cap off his head, Hermes reached up, grabbing his arms.

"Don't be gentle with me," the herald growled. "I won't break."

With these words of encouragement, Amphion ripped off the cap and threw it over his shoulder. Hermes' curly black hair poured over his shoulders, and Amphion grasped at it, running his fingers through the silky tresses. "You're so beautiful," Amphion whispered repeatedly, and Hermes' eyes fluttered shut. It wasn't often that he heard such a compliment; he was often in the company of Apollo, whose beauty shadowed everything and everyone .

"Show me how beautiful you think I am," Hermes breathed.

* * *

><p>Hermes returned to Mount Olympus the next morning with red eyes. When he walked into the throne room to pick up the day's messages, he saw that Apollo was sitting next to Zeus, talking to the king in a low voice. He turned and glared at Hermes as the messenger came forward.<p>

"Good morning, son," Zeus greeted Hermes in a seemingly cheerful voice – but Hermes thought he detected a note of uneasiness in the words.

"Um – good morning." He glanced at Apollo, who was still watching him heatedly. "Are there any messages that need delivered?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact – " Zeus began, but suddenly Apollo cut him off.

"What were you thinking, Hermes?!" the blonde exploded, jumping to his feet.

"What are you talking about?" Hermes asked, feigning nonchalance.

"_Amphion?_" Apollo demanded. "Your little _escapade _last night?"

Hermes was confused. "How did you know -?" he began to ask, before remembering that this particular god could see into the future. "Well, nobody asked you to spy on me!" the messenger snapped, crossing his arms. "Why do you care, anyway?"

Zeus, now looking extremely uncomfortable, got up from his throne and left the room.

"I don't know!" Apollo shouted, beginning to fiddle with his hair. "But I can't stop picturing you with him and it's driving me insane." His cheeks had reddened slightly, giving color to his pale face. It was a good look on him.

"You're the one driving _me _insane!" Hermes exclaimed. "Do you know how hard it was for me to see you with that boy?"

Apollo didn't answer, but his emotions were clearly written across his face. He looked confused, upset, and dejected. "What are we going to do?" he finally murmured, tugging at his hair.

"I don't know," Hermes said quietly. "You're supposed to be the rational one." A nervous, fluttery sort of feeling had developed in his stomach.

Apollo exhaled with frustration. "I think the only thing we _can _do is try to control ourselves. I don't think the others would be happy if we continued this relationship."

Hermes couldn't hide the feeling of utter rejection that shot across his face. Tears began to form in the corners of Apollo's eyes, and he looked at Hermes with an expression that begged for forgiveness.

Hermes shrugged one shoulder and turned away. A moment later, he walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Despite the agreement that had been reached by the duo, Hermes could not stay away from Apollo for long. They had been friends for too long, and nothing could ever change that. A week after the throne room incident, he found himself perched high up in a tree at the base of Mount Olympus. On the ground far below, Apollo was leaning against the same tree, unaware of Hermes' whereabouts.<p>

Hermes watched as Apollo called out to a crow, and the bird flew towards the god, landing on a slender finger. The blonde began to sing as he stroked the feathers of the crow. His golden hair cascaded against the bark of the tree. A deer and wolf appeared from the depths of the woods, and a swan emerged from the nearby pond.

After another moment of watching, Hermes couldn't hide any longer. He hopped out of the tree and let himself fall until he was a few feet above the blonde's head. Suspended in midair, he spoke. "A charming song. Why not play along to it on my lyre?"

Apollo looked up in surprise. His eyebrows furrowed slightly when he saw who it was, but he responded nonetheless. "It isn't your lyre, Hermes. We traded fairly."

A feeling of warmth spread through Hermes – he had missed the presence of his closest friend. He smiled cheekily. "I had just been born, Apollo! I knew not what I was trading. You took advantage of me." He put his hands on his cheeks in mock horror, snickering at the look on Apollo's face. "The crows told me that angering you would lead to misfortune."

"You _had _just stolen my cattle," Apollo pointed out reasonably.

"You know it was funny!" Hermes grinned.

"Don't you have messages to be delivering?" Apollo asked, trying to hide the tiny smile on his lips.

Hermes, struck by a sudden idea, winked at Apollo before throwing himself into flight. He snatched Apollo's bow-and-arrow from where it had been resting against a tree and then hid himself behind a bush. It only took a moment for Apollo to realize that his beloved weapon was missing. His resulting shout was so loud that it shook the earth, causing a giggling Hermes to fall out from behind his bush. Hearing the laughter, Apollo whirled around, scowling when he spotted the thief. "Give that back!" the archer demanded. "Do you perhaps remember promising never to steal any of my possessions after the cow incident?"

"Fine," Hermes conceded, handing over the stolen item.

"You can't help yourself, can you?"

"God of thievery," Hermes sang, doing a flip in midair.

Apollo sighed, shouldering his bow. "What do you want, Hermes?"

"Zeus called a meeting," Hermes responded. "Something about the Cyclopes…"

"Great," Apollo groaned.


	10. Chapter 10

_"In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons." -Herodotus_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 10: Paris and the Trojan War<em>

* * *

><p>The Trojan War began soon thereafter. Apollo and Hermes took different sides – Hermes supported the Greeks, while Apollo favored the Trojans.<p>

Hermes knew that something had happened when he walked into the conference room one morning and saw Apollo, Artemis, Ares, and Athena standing in a small group. All four were dressed in full armor, weapons close at hand. Ares and Apollo had their hair braided in the style of Greek warriors. Ares was carrying his helmet under his arm. Apollo looked serene, as though everything in the world was perfect - even though, clearly, it was not.

"Er…What's going on?" Hermes asked, staring at them in confusion.

"The Greeks have declared war on the Trojans," Ares announced, sounding like Yule had come early.

"You don't have to say it like you think it's the best thing to have happened all century," Athena snapped at him. Athena and Ares were perhaps the two most argumentative gods in the pantheon. Both were gods of war, but had very different ideas on how to approach battle. Ares was bloodthirsty, but Athena did not believe in fighting without reason.

"Why?"

"Don't you remember what happened last month?" Artemis asked. Glancing at her, Hermes was struck by how similar in appearance she was to her brother.

"Um – a lot of things happened last month," he said, losing track of his thoughts momentarily.

"The golden apple," Ares said impatiently. Athena huffed at his words, muttering something about men never thinking with their brains. And then, Hermes remembered.

_Flashback_

_"Hermes!" Zeus bellowed, striding towards his youngest son with a worried expression on his face. "I need you to do me a favor."_

_Hermes made a face at his father; practically his entire job was doing favors for the king. "What is it?"_

_"Do you remember what happened at Peleus and Thetis's wedding?" _

_Hermes smiled, recalling the rather comical joke that had been pulled by Eris, goddess of discord. "Yes."_

_"Three of the girls laid claim to the apple. They wanted me to decide who should be the rightful owner, but I want nothing to do with it. I need you to go to Earth and get Paris."_

_Paris, a prince of Troy, was considered to be the most beautiful mortal man of the decade. "You're letting a mortal decide?" Hermes asked, rather surprised. Zeus shrugged. _

_"Just go and get him."_

* * *

><p><em>When Hermes arrived with the prince, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera were already waiting in the conference room. Hermes had never seen any of them looking so spectacularly beautiful. Aphrodite had flowers woven into her mane of shimmering hair. Her long red dress was strapless. She needed no makeup to have a breathtaking effect. <em>

_Hera was dressed in pink. Her eyelids were painted, and a golden crown was tucked subtly into her dark hair. Her light, ageless skin shone with majesty. _

_Athena was perhaps the most attractive of all – at least, in Hermes' opinion. She had made no attempt to look feminine and appealing. Her helmet sat atop her dark wavy hair. Her muscular legs were visible, and she watched Paris in an appraising manner. She was purely and simply _Athena_. _

_"These are the contestants," Hermes announced to Paris. "Your only job is to tell us which you think is the most beautiful." As he spoke, Aphrodite straightened up, making her breasts appear larger. Hermes rolled his eyes at her before returning his gaze to Paris. The prince was staring at the three goddesses with awe. His gaze flicked from Athena to Hera to Aphrodite and then back to Athena. _

_After several moments of silence, Hermes pressed, "Well?" _

_"I – I don't know," Paris stammered. "They're all so beautiful…"_

_The three goddesses glanced at each other, and then Hera turned to Paris and stepped forward. "If you pick me," she said, gazing into his dark eyes. "I will make sure that you become the sole ruler of all of Europe and Asia. You will be the greatest leader of all time, and your name will never be forgotten." _

_Athena hissed in anger at Hera's scheme, but she would not be undone. She stepped forward and shoved her stepmother out of the way. "If you pick _me, _you will be the wisest man that the world has ever seen. Everyone will know your name. And," she added hastily, seeing that Paris didn't look particularly interested. "You will be undefeated in battle."_

_Aphrodite smirked at her stepmother and sister. From somewhere within her robes, she pulled out a mirror framed with gold. She held it up for Paris to see. Hermes, Athena, and Hera all stepped forward in curiosity, and as they watched, an image that was not Paris formed in the mirror. A beautiful girl appeared. She had a yard of golden hair and sea-green eyes. She brushed her hair as they stared at the image. "Who is she?" Paris whispered. Aphrodite lowered the mirror, a smug expression on her face. _

_"Her name is Helen. She is currently considered to be the most beautiful mortal woman in the world. And if you pick me," she stopped, creating a dramatic pause. "You shall have her as your wife."_

_"Then I pick you!" Paris said immediately. Athena and Hera let out cries of anger. Hermes grabbed Paris by the arm, whisking him back to Troy before he ended up on the receiving end of one of Hera's infamous rages. _

_"What's going on?" a voice asked, and Apollo appeared in the room. He had been passing by when he happened to hear the sounds of a fight. Upon entering the room, he was met with the sight of Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera shouting at each other. _

_"Aphrodite is using her idiotic schemes to get what she wants again," Athena cried out, pointing at said goddess in accusation. _

_"You and Hera did it first!" Aphrodite contradicted. _

_Hermes reappeared just as Apollo was regretting having entered the room. "What a mess," the messenger sighed, shaking his head. _

_"What exactly is happening?" Apollo asked. He was thoroughly lost, not having seen this in the future. _

_"Aphrodite promised Paris that he could marry Helen if he chose her as the fairest goddess."_

_"What?!" Apollo shouted, bringing silence to the room. The three goddesses turned and stared at him, but he only had eyes for Aphrodite. "Do you know what you've done?" he demanded of the love goddess. "Helen is already married to Menelaus!" _

_"So?" Aphrodite said carelessly, flipping her hair. _

_"You don't realize what you've done," the blonde whispered. "You just started the Trojan War." _

* * *

><p><em>"Wait!" Hermes shouted, chasing after Apollo. The archer was storming through the temple, heading towards the throne room. "What do you mean, she started the Trojan War?"<em>

_"What do you think Menelaus is going to do when Paris shows up to take his wife? Say, 'oh, that's fine, you can have her'?" _

_"No…"_

_"Hence the beginning of the Trojan War."_

* * *

><p>Present<p>

"Not another war," Hermes groaned.

"What do you mean, 'not another war'? There hasn't been a war in years," Ares very nearly shouted.

"Right. And now there's going to be another one."

Artemis laughed, and Apollo looked away to hide his smile.

"So what's happening?' Hermes asked, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms and legs.

"The Greeks are gathering soldiers," Athena told him. "Helen is in Troy, and Menelaus went to Agamemnon for help."

_"_Did someone summon Odysseus?"

"Yes, they summoned your precious Odysseus," Ares said with a roll of his eyes. Hermes and Athena grinned at each other. Odysseus was one of their favorite mortals, and was often visited by both gods.

"And, _of course, _Odysseus is bringing Achilles," Apollo spoke up, glowering at everyone in general. Achilles, of course, would be fighting for the Greeks. Apollo had decided to support Troy in this war, because the Greek leader, Agamemnon, had insulted one of his priests (or at least, Hermes thought that's why he had made the decision). Athena was supporting the Greeks because she was still offended by Paris's decision. Hermes supported the Greeks because – well, he _was _Greek. Artemis, of course, supported whoever her brother supported.

* * *

><p>Hermes wasn't a war god, and thus wanted nothing to do with fighting. His father, however, didn't particularly care what his son wanted. That's how he ended up in the middle of Troy one dark night, waiting for King Priam to retrieve his son's body from Achilles. It was two years into the war. Many great heroes were dead. Just as many gods had been wounded.<p>

The darkness of the night was interrupted by the arrival of Apollo, who always made his entrance with a flash of golden light. Hermes swallowed the feelings he felt at the way the moonlight hit his ivory face, and instead asked, "Why are you here?"

Apollo ranted on about Achilles for several moments, and then scorned the war hero's lover. Before the archer could do any more damage, Hermes grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed as Apollo wrenched his arm away.

"I was bored. Mother and Father are fighting again," Apollo explained, pushing his hair out of his face.

"So you decided to come and ruin my task?" Hermes scowled up at his beautiful face.

"I didn't ruin anything," Apollo responded carelessly.

"What happened to us 'staying away from each other'?" Hermes asked, beginning to walk away from the Greek camp.

"I didn't say anything about staying away from each other. I said that we need to control ourselves." Apollo gazed up at the stars as he spoke.

"Sorry," Hermes muttered, watching as Apollo's hair poured down his back like a golden waterfall. "It's hard to keep track of all your little 'speeches'. And by the way…It's a lot more difficult to control myself when you're _right here_."

"That's because you're too impulsive. You need to think about your actions before you do them."

"It's a little too late for the lecture," Hermes snorted, throwing himself on the ground and staring up at the sky. Apollo sighed and took a seat by the messenger's side. Hermes felt his muscles clench up when the archer laid his head on the herald's stomach. After a moment, Apollo murmured, "I think I'm tired of trying to control myself."


	11. Chapter 11

_Just know that I'll make you hurt,  
>(I miss the lies and the pain, what you did to me)<br>When you tell me you'll make it worse  
>I hate that feeling inside<br>You tell me how hard you'll try  
>But when we're at our worst<br>I miss the misery  
><em>

_-Halestorm_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 11: Life and Death<em>

* * *

><p><em>...Apollo murmured, "I think I'm tired of trying to control myself." <em>

Before Hermes could answer, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. "Hermes!" a booming voice called. Clouds shaped together to form the face of Zeus.

"I have to go," Hermes muttered to Apollo, brushing his fingers against the back of Apollo's hand. The blonde was glowering up at their father's face, undoubtedly furious at having been interrupted.

Hermes found his father hiding in a cave, high up in the mountains. His eyes instantly fell to the grotesque bulge in Zeus's thigh. "Father –" he began to ask, trying to decide if he wanted to hear the explanation. "What is that?"

Zeus looked up from where he had been undoing a row of stitches which had seemingly been holding the bulge in. "I have a favor to ask you," Zeus said quietly, but Hermes was hardly listening. The bulge had just _moved! _

"What _is _that?" he demanded again, taking a step back. Zeus looked at his thigh sheepishly, and then removed the last row of stiches. The wound fell open – and out came a baby. "Gah!" Hermes gasped, backing up until he collided with the wall of the cave.

"Don't be foolish, it's just an infant," Zeus said, picking up the child and cooing at it lovingly.

"How – what – how what –" Hermes stammered, staring at the baby, then at his father's leg, then back to the baby.

"It's your new brother," Zeus beamed, running his thumb across the child's cheek. "Hera found out about my relationship with his mother. She tricked Semele into thinking that I had lied about being a god, so Semele demanded to see me in my true form."

As soon as his father spoke these words, Hermes knew what had happened. No mortal could look upon a god in his or her true form and live to tell the tale.

"I rescued him and implanted him in my thigh until he was ready to be born. And now I need to leave him with you."

"What?" Hermes gasped. "With _me? _Why with me?"

"Because you're the only one I trust not to tell Hera or do anything else foolish," Zeus said impatiently, standing up and shoving his newborn son in Hermes' general direction. Hermes reluctantly took the child. "I need to get back to Olympus," Zeus said. "Take good care of him for me." And with that, he disappeared in a flash of silver light, leaving Hermes quite alone.

_Apollo_, Hermes prayed silently. _I need your help. Please come to me._

Never once had Apollo not answered his best friend's prayers. Within a minute, he appeared in the cave, still looking highly disgruntled. But when he caught sight of the baby cuddled in Hermes' arms, his expression turned thunderous.

"Who did you impregnate this time?" he asked dangerously, crossing his arms.

"No!" Hermes denied immediately, green eyes widening. "This isn't my child!"

"Oh," Apollo said, calming instantly. "Is this our new brother?" Hermes nodded, glancing down at the child. Already he was maturing. His body had grown several inches longer in the short amount of time that Hermes had been holding him. His violet eyes stared up at the messenger curiously. He had a head full of wavy dark hair that would grow into a luscious mane.

Apollo shrugged off his cloak and held it out. "Wrap him in this so he won't catch cold."

"I think his beauty may rival yours someday," Hermes murmured, wrapping the baby in the white shirt and then leaning over and kissing his head. Apollo, never one to be vain, did not answer. Instead he gazed at Hermes, his piercing sapphire eyes calculating. "Maybe his beauty will rival mine," he said softly. "But there is no one who could ever be more enchanting than you."

Hermes froze, blushing at these sweet words. _How could one god be so full of wrath, so terrifyingly beautiful, yet so gentle and gracious? _He turned and sat the child down. "I don't understand how one minute you can be so angry, and the next minute you can be the sweetest creature in existence," Hermes said, voicing his thoughts.

Apollo smiled but didn't answer, and Hermes wanted to touch and kiss his serene face – the face that was as beautiful as it was possible for a male to be. But before he could lean forward, Apollo's eyes widened as he stared at something over Hermes' shoulder. The messenger turned around – and then gasped. Standing directly behind him was a fully grown man. For now his hair was short; the dark locks barely brushed the tips of his ears. But his eyes glowed violet in the dim light, and his delicate features were like that of a girl.

"You're my brothers," the man said. It wasn't a question, but a statement. Hermes nodded, and then turned to Apollo with his eyebrows furrowed. "What are we supposed to call him?"

"Dionysus," the blonde said simply. "He will be called Dionysus."

The man – _Dionysus – _leaned over to the side so he could see past Hermes. He stared at Apollo. "Why is your hair so long?"

* * *

><p>Dionysus was put into the care of nymphs on Mount Nysa in order to hide his identity from Hera. Apollo and Hermes were careful not to tell any of the other gods about him. For a while, the youngest god was forgotten. Hermes would not see him again until several years later.<p>

* * *

><p>It was the day when the townspeople honored Leto and her children, Apollo and Artemis. Hermes was sitting next to Amphion; both were sipping wine, watching the people bring offerings of frankincense to the altar. All were wearing crowns of laurel. "Where is your wife?" Hermes whispered to Amphion. He had yet to meet the woman his friend had married.<p>

"I don't – " Amphion began to answer, but before he could finish, a furious-looking woman stormed through the crowd, shoving people aside. Everyone froze, staring at the newcomer.

"Why is it," the woman shouted, putting her hands on her hips, "that you people feel the need to worship beings that you have never met, but not the people who stand right in front of you?" She continued before anyone could reply. "My father was a friend of the gods, and my mother herself was a goddess! My body is worthy of a goddess, and I have seven times as many children as Leto. Why does she receive honor, but not I?"

This rant was met with silence. Before Hermes could stand up in a rage, prepared to defend his friend's mother, the wind began to whisper and the clouds turned dark. A blinding light sent all but Hermes falling to their knees, shielding their eyes with their hands. When it was safe to look, the town was met with the sight of the mighty Apollo and Artemis.

The twin archers stood at the foot of the altar, wearing identical expressions of fury. Their quivers were full of lethal arrows, shining silver in the light. Blue eyes were narrowed to mere slits. Artemis's brown hair flew about her face, but Apollo's golden tresses were twisted into a heavy braid.

"Niobe, wife of Amphion," Artemis greeted the woman in a voice colder than ice. Hermes whirled around to stare at Amphion, who had shrunk down into his chair, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Two gods now stand before you. Do you still think yourself worthy of the pantheon?"

"You have insulted our mother," Apollo spoke, his beautiful voice dripping with anger. "And you have insulted my sister and I. Because of this, you will watch every single one of your children die at our hands."

Next to Hermes, Amphion let out a cry of horror. The eyes of Artemis and Apollo immediately shot to the distraught king. A small sneer formed on Apollo's lips when he recognized Amphion. "Do you not think insulting the gods is worthy of punishment?" Apollo asked, his smirk growing when Amphion didn't answer. Apollo walked forward through the crowd, stopping in front of the king. Although Hermes was in disguise, he shrunk down inside his traveler's cloak and took a step back, not wishing to be recognized.

"There is no need to answer that," Apollo said to Amphion. "I know you think yourself worthy of the gods, just like your pathetic wife." He was, of course, referring to the fact that Amphion was a lover of Hermes.

Suddenly Apollo grabbed Amphion by the hair, pulling him forward. "Tell me, mortal," Apollo snarled, shoving his face into Amphion's. "What makes you worthy of the messenger's love, when I am not?" Hermes had to bite his lip to keep from gasping out at these words, but he couldn't hide the cry of horror he made when Apollo shoved Amphion away from him and sent a poison-tipped arrow flying at the king. "No!" Hermes screamed, throwing his cloak to the ground and sprinting to the fallen body. He didn't hear the sound of surprise that Artemis made. The only thing he saw was the blood pouring out around the arrow, turning the previously white shirt crimson. "No, no, no, no…" Hermes repeated, reaching out for his cloak and trying to stop the bleeding. Amphion's eyes were glazed over, staring at the stormy sky but not really seeing it. Hermes whirled around to face Apollo. "Fix him!" he shrieked at the god. "Heal him – I know you can heal him – Please!" the messenger choked out, clutching at Amphion's tunic. But Apollo merely shook his head, his eyes brimming with tears.

When Hermes turned back to Amphion, he saw that the life had left his eyes. With a small sob, he let his head fall forward onto Amphion's chest.

* * *

><p>Hermes left shortly thereafter, leaving a stunned Artemis and sober Apollo behind. He watched glumly from the heavens as Artemis killed Niobe's seven daughters and Apollo, the seven sons. He didn't look up when he heard footsteps approaching him from behind, but a moment later, Aphrodite and Ares appeared him in front him. Aphrodite took a seat, tucking her feet beneath her dress, but Ares remained standing, towering over the other two with his huge body. "We saw what happened," Aphrodite said softly, and Hermes looked up at his one-time lover with sad green eyes. Aphrodite had known about his relationship with Amphion.<p>

"I should slaughter Apollo right now," Ares muttered, crossing his huge arms. "Going around killing innocent boys – who does he think he is?"

Although Hermes wasn't usually very fond of Ares, not to mention the fact that his words were hypocritical, he couldn't help giving him a watery smile. Aphrodite wrapped her arms around the messenger comfortingly. "I wish you hadn't had to see that," she murmured, petting his hair. "Especially since it was Apollo who killed him…" She let her voice trail off, and Hermes stared at her. He wondered if he had imagined the underlying meaning in that sentence. She winked at him, and he blinked.

Before anything else could be said, the door to the room burst open, and in tromped Apollo and Artemis. Both were splattered with blood and wearing self-satisfied expressions. But when Apollo's eyes zeroed in on Hermes, his smile faded. Hermes turned away stiffly, and Aphrodite jumped to her feet, facing Apollo with an angry expression.

"What you did was completely unnecessary," she declared, not giving him a chance to speak. "He did nothing to deserve being killed – _especially _by a god that he worshipped passionately." The last words hung in the air. Hermes, open-mouthed, turned back around to face the archer. Apollo had frozen, glaring daggers at Aphrodite.

"I can't believe you," Hermes finally said in a low voice. "Why do you feel the need to kill anyone who poses the slightest threat to you? He loved you, Apollo. _He worshipped you!_"

But Apollo wasn't ashamed of what he had done; jealousy was one of his most famous faults. If he was upset, it was because Hermes was angry with him.

"Please don't be angry at me," Apollo finally pleaded, looking up with a helpless expression and knowing that he didn't deserve forgiveness. Aphrodite raised an elegant eyebrow, disbelief written across her face at his audacity.

"No, Apollo," Hermes said, still speaking in that low voice. "I'm not angry at you. I'm just disappointed."


	12. Chapter 12

_"Because it is what it is_

_and it was what it was_

_We were what we were_

_But whatever that was_

_it wasn't enough."_

_-Kyle Cook and Greg Crowe_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 12: Feuds<em>

Hermes and Apollo had had feuds before, but normally that was because Apollo was upset with _him_ – not the other way around. They only spoke when necessary. Hermes no longer made it a part of his schedule to appear in Apollo's room simply to annoy the blonde. It wasn't as bad as when Hermes had scolded Apollo for killing Achilles; the younger god had been ignored for nearly ten years after _that _incident. But it was hard to stand the hopeless, pleading looks the archer often sent his way.

Hermes spent his free time watching Odysseus attempt to make his journey back to Ithaca. The war hero got periodic visits from Athena and the messenger, both of whom were attempting to protect the king from the rest of their family. Many of the Olympians were still upset that Odysseus's men had murdered Hector's son.

It was on such a day that Zeus approached Hermes, looking rather disgruntled. "The council has decided that Odysseus must be released from Calypso's island," he said. "I need you to go and –"

"I get the point, Father Zeus," Hermes interrupted with a sigh. Zeus clasped Hermes, who was by far one of his favorite sons, on the shoulder.

"Not once have you failed me, my little messenger. I trust you will not fail this time either."

* * *

><p>Hermes, never having been one for manners, flew directly into Calypso's cavern. In his hand he carried the caduceus. He gripped it tightly as he looked around for the goddess nymph. He found her at her loom. She spoke before he could say anything.<p>

"Welcome, Hermes of the golden wand. What an honor it is to meet you." She stood up after she had finished speaking, and turned to face the newcomer. He bowed slightly.

"I come on an errand from Zeus. The man you have, he says, is not appointed to meet his end here. He deserves to see his kingdom and his kin once more. You must release him and send him on his way. He does not belong here."

His words were not long, but Calypso's eyes narrowed further and further as he spoke. "You gods are hypocrites – merciless hypocrites!" she hissed. "Jealousy is all you know. You can't stand to see an undisguised goddess take a mortal to her bed. You are resentful creatures, all of you!"

"That may be," Hermes admitted grudgingly. "But nevertheless, you have been commanded to release Odysseus from this island."

"Do not be mistaken, Radiant One," she snapped. "I will do so willingly."

_Mission accomplished. _

Hermes stood up, beaming at her. With one last bow and a word of farewell, he strode out of the cavern.

He was preparing to take flight when he thought he heard the sounds of crying mingled in with the crashing of the waves upon the shore. Looking around, he caught sight of a small figure huddled upon the beach, weeping bitterly. As he neared, he recognized the man as Odysseus.

"Do not cry, brave one," Hermes said gently, kneeling beside the hero. The man's head snapped up. Surprise fleeted across his face before sorrow once again replaced it.

"I fear that I will never see my home or my wife again," he murmured, clenching his hands in the wet sand.

"You have fought long and hard, and thus far your voyage home has been turbulent. But I promise you that you will see your kingdom and your loved ones again."

Odysseus looked up into the kind green eyes, and hope formed upon his face. "I pray that you are telling the truth," he breathed, and Hermes had to laugh. Odysseus, who had been depressed by his captivation for the last several years, reveled in the friendly sound of the divine laughter.

"I did not come by my own free will, brave Odysseus," the messenger smiled. "It was Zeus who ordered your release from this island."

Odysseus took Hermes by surprise when he lunged at the messenger, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," the man whispered when he had backed away. Hermes flashed that infamous smile. "I wish you the best of luck, Odysseus. The gods are on your side." _Or at least, some of them are. _

And with that, the radiant messenger took flight.

* * *

><p>Upon landing, he found himself nose-to-nose with an anxious Athena. "How is he?" she asked as soon as his feet had touched the ground.<p>

"He'll be fine as soon as he gets off that island," Hermes replied. "One more week and he might have drowned himself in the sea…"

"That's exactly what I thought," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I told father that it would be sadistic to keep him there any longer."

"You talked Zeus into letting Odysseus go?" Hermes asked, not altogether surprised but rather amused. Zeus had a weak spot for Athena, whose gray eyes were now sparkling merrily. "Of course."

Hermes grinned at her, and then the two went their separate ways. When Hermes reached his room, he sat down on his bed, pulling off the golden sandals and then the golden cap. His curly hair was a tangled mess, but rather than attempting to brush it, he threw himself back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"You look awfully depressed," a silky voice said, and Hermes smiled at the ceiling.

"Long time, no see, Loki," he said without getting up.

"I've been busy," Loki said breezily, taking a seat next to his Greek friend. "And from what I've heard, so have you. Stirring up trouble again, are you?"

"For once, no," Hermes scowled. "Apollo _has _to be the most jealous person I've ever met. It's okay for _him _to have lovers, but not me. And it's strange, but I don't recall us deciding to be loyal to each other. I wasn't even aware that we were in a relationship!"

Loki tilted his head thoughtfully. "No, you don't have an actual relationship, but you've been dancing around each other for nearly a century. Even I know that. Of course, the looks he gives me every time he sees us together aren't exactly subtle…"

When Hermes didn't answer but merely scowled harder, Loki decided to change the subject. "By the by, I met someone interesting the other day."

"Who?" Hermes asked dully. His mind was still on his own problems.

"I was on vacation in Egypt, visiting a friend, and I happened to pass by this man –"

"Very interesting."

"I'm not finished," Loki sang. "He had the most unusual eyes – that's what caught my attention, you know – and I knew that he had to be a god."

"What about his eyes?" Hermes asked as he sat up and eyed Loki with curiosity.

Loki lifted his eyebrows and grinned. "They were _violet._ Sound familiar?"

_Dionysus! _

"Yes, that was his name," Loki confirmed, using his mind-reading ability that Hermes usually hated. But this time the messenger barely noticed.

"How is he?" Hermes asked quickly. "Is he okay?"

"I'd say so," Loki said with a snigger. "He's as pretty as a girl. I like it."

Hermes made a face at his friend, and Loki continued his story hastily. "He's very keen to return home. I guess he's been bored in Nysa."

"I know that feeling," Hermes sighed, remembering his time herding cattle. "I'll talk to Zeus about it."

"Don't worry too much about him," Loki said, grinning. "I'm good company." He gave Hermes a suggestive wink, and the messenger hit him on the head playfully.

* * *

><p>Loki left soon afterwards, and Hermes figured that it was time to go see Zeus. But when he walked into the throne room, it wasn't Zeus that he found, but Apollo. The blonde was sitting on the steps at the foot of the throne, hunched over. He hadn't bothered to pull back his hair, and the curly mass fell over his face. Hermes stopped in his tracks, but it was too late – Apollo looked up, having heard his footsteps. Hermes cursed himself for not putting on his winged sandals, which granted him the ability to move silently. He turned around to leave, but Apollo called after him. "Hermes!"<p>

Hermes stopped, but didn't turn around to face him. "Yes?" he asked coldly.

"Please look at me."

With a huff, Hermes turned around – and froze. Apollo was mere inches away from his face, close enough for Hermes to count his coal-black eyelashes. Strands of curly hair hung in his face. _Nobody's eyes can be that blue_, Hermes thought. And then he tore his gaze away from the archer's eyes. He found himself staring at the full lips. _Breathe, _he reminded himself. He drew in a shaky breath.

"Did you – um – need something?"

Apollo opened his mouth, and his sweet breath blew over Hermes' face. "I made a mistake," he whispered, his eyes filled with desperation. "A horrible mistake. But I can't stand you ignoring me. Please – just talk to me."

"Um," Hermes breathed. He had hardly heard a word that Apollo had said. He reached out and brushed the stray strands out of Apollo's face. "Yes. Whatever you want."

It was worth it just to see the brilliant smile that crossed his beautiful face. Once again, Hermes found himself forgetting to breathe. _It's like he has magical powers. _

"Thank you," Apollo whispered, reaching his hand out to touch Hermes and then thinking better of it. But Hermes merely grabbed the archer's hand and brought it up to touch his own cheek. He closed his eyes at the feel of the soft palm. His fingertips were slightly rough. _I missed you. _

* * *

><p>Although Hermes and Apollo were on speaking terms again, Apollo was now the one being cold to Hermes. It all started a month after Loki's last visit…<p>

_A month earlier_

_"It's not that I don't _like _her," Hephaestus was saying to Hermes. "It's that she never gives anyone a chance…" _

_The two were walking through the temple, making their way to their respective rooms. Hera had been moody during dinner; halfway through the second course, she'd thrown a plate of food at Zeus and stormed from the room. _

_"I think Zeus ruined all of his chances," Hermes had laughed. They had arrived at the messenger's door, and Hephaestus bid his younger brother good night. _

_The room was unusually dark. He fumbled around for a torch, cursing under his breath. Making fire was a tedious process, and he didn't feel like dealing with it. _

_ It was by chance that he happened to glance at the window, but when he did so, he dropped his newly-found torch and gasped. _

_There was someone sitting on his window ledge. The body was small, and the person's legs were pulled up to their chest. _

_"Don't be frightened," a voice said, and Hermes sighed in relief – he recognized Loki's voice. _

_"What are you doing here at this time of night?" Hermes asked, picking up the torch and digging around for his fire kit. But before he could find it, Loki snapped his fingers – and the torch burst to light, erupting in flames. "Thanks," Hermes said, reaching up to stick the torch in the bracket high up on the wall. Light washed over the room. Hermes threw a quick glance at Loki (or a least, the back of Loki's head) as he shrugged off his chlamys and then pulled off his cap and tunic. His layered hair fluttered in the slight breeze, revealing his pale neck. After a moment Hermes reminded him, "You still haven't told me what you're doing here." _

_Loki finally turned around, and Hermes saw that his dark eyes were dancing. "If I asked if I could have you for one night," the Trickster asked in a silky voice. "What would you say?" _

_Hermes froze in the middle of folding his tunic, wondering if he had heard that correctly. "Err – _what?!"

_"You heard me. I want you – just for a night. No strings attached." He paused for a moment, and then added, "I can make you forget all about Apollo, you know." Another suggestive wink. _

_Standing there naked, Hermes suddenly felt very exposed…especially when he caught Loki eyeing him up and down, zeroing in on a certain part of his body._

_"Um…" Hermes stammered, his cheeks turning red. *_Quick – think of something witty!*_But nothing came to mind. "I don't think so, Loki…" He thought of the look on Apollo's face if the blonde found out that Hermes had slept with his least-favorite god. _

_"I promise I won't let Apollo find out," Loki assured him. "Or, if it makes you feel better…" _

_With a snap of his fingers, Loki's body began to transform before Hermes' very eyes. A second later, the spitting image of Apollo stood before him. The mischievous grin looked very out of place on the normally-stoic archer. Hermes blanched. "Change back right now," he ordered. _

_Loki-Apollo shrugged, switching back to his normal body. "Well?" he then asked. "Will you do it?" _

_Hermes hesitated, and then shook his head. "I can't. You're one of my best friends. I don't want to ruin our friendship." _

_"You always say that Apollo's your best friend. I know the two of you slept together." _

_"That's different – and _how?_" Hermes demanded._

_"Please," Loki scoffed, rolling his eyes. "_Everyone _knows about that. I heard it from Thor, who heard it from Vidar, who probably heard it from Vor…"_

_Vor was the Norse goddess who knows everything. _

_"Do you Norse gods have nothing better to do except gossip?" _

_"Nope," Loki replied brightly. "But back to the matter at hand. What makes sleeping with me any different than sleeping with Blondie?" _

_"Stop asking me questions I don't know the answer to," Hermes snapped, turning away. _

_"Is it because I'm not handsome enough?" _

_"No! Why do you want to do this anyway?" _

_Loki blinked, actually looking caught off guard. Confusion crossed his face. "I—I don't know," he admitted. "I guess there's just something about you. You're handsome, friendly, funny…" _

_Now it was Hermes' turn to blink. "Really?" _

_Loki tilted his head and smiled at Hermes softly. "Definitely. And the fact that you don't realize it makes it even more irresistible." He reached out with a long white finger and traced Hermes' jawline. The messenger's eyes unwittingly fluttered shut. When the hand fell to his chest, he let out a soft moan. Cold lips pressed against his cheekbone, and then his eyelids. The hand that wasn't running over his chest found its way to his hair and tugged lightly. Hermes couldn't stop himself from grabbing Loki's head and roughly shoving their lips together. _

_It wasn't anything like kissing Apollo. The archer's lips had been warm and soft. Loki's were cold and rough – but the experience wasn't unpleasant. If he'd thought that Apollo had been rough the night after Daphne's transformation, it was nothing compared to Loki. He was surprisingly strong for his small frame, and within a minute he had Hermes shoved up against the wall. The messenger let out a cry when the Norse trickster bit his neck, drawing beads of blood. In return, Hermes grabbed his thin wrists in an iron grip and spun them around until he had Loki pinned. The Norse god giggled, and Hermes bit his lower lip roughly. But before they could go any farther, a sudden wave of light washed over the room. Both tricksters froze. Hermes, dreading what he would see, turned to face the doorway. _

_Apollo stood at the entrance to the room, holding the curtain aside. The light from the hallway flooded the dim room and illuminated Apollo's blank face. Hermes felt Loki's body stiffen – and then realized that they were still pressed together, and Hermes was naked. He leapt back and hastily picked up his discarded chlamys, wrapping himself in it. _

_Apollo still had not said anything. Glancing back at Loki, Hermes saw that the Trickster had a wide, mocking grin on his face. _

_"This isn't what it looks like," Hermes began to say, but Loki cut him off. _

_"Don't lie, Hermes. It's _exactly _what it looks like!"_

_"_No,_ it's not!" Hermes snarled. "He started it! He was waiting in my room like a snake waiting for its prey." _

_"No, I wasn't!" _

_"Both of you are lying," Apollo finally spoke in a voice devoid of emotion. "And I don't want to hear it." With that, he turned on his heel and walked from the room._

* * *

><p>"Apollo," Hermes said for what seemed like the billionth time. The archer was sitting cross-legged on the floor of his temple, polishing his bow strings. Hermes had spent hours trying to find him, and now the older god wouldn't even acknowledge him.<p>

"Apollo!" Hermes said again, louder this time. Finally, Apollo sat down the bow string with a sigh and turned to the messenger.

"You don't have to explain anything to me, you know. We never said we were in a relationship."

"I didn't come here to explain. I just wanted to say sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, either."

"But –"

"Look. It isn't fair to expect you to be faithful to me when obviously I'm not faithful to you."

_Obviously. _

"Well – fine," Hermes mumbled, turning around and walking out of the room. Apollo watched him go with a helpless expression on his face.


	13. Chapter 13

_"I don't want to close my eyes_

_I don't want to fall asleep_

_'cause I miss you baby_

_and I don't want to miss a thing."_

_-Aerosmith_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 13: Always There<em>

* * *

><p>"This is all your fault, you know," Hermes grumbled to Loki. The two were sitting in a window of the highest part of the temple, staring out at the heavens.<p>

"It isn't my fault that Apollo's so uptight," Loki responded carelessly. "I just wanted to have some fun. And it's not like he doesn't have his fair share of lovers."

"Ughhhh," Hermes groaned, pressing his hands over his ears and laying back. The last thing he needed was a mental image of Apollo and some beautiful mortal.

"Sorry," Loki apologized, not sounding like he meant it. "But maybe you should just leave this whole thing alone for a while. Be his friend. Stop thinking about how great he is in bed."

At these words, Hermes started giggling hysterically. A wry grin crossed Loki's face. "It wasn't that funny, but I'm glad I amuse you."

* * *

><p>"I – won't – let—you—beat me!" Ares gasped, throwing a punch at Hermes, who dodged it quickly. This was the third round of boxing he had challenged Hermes to in a day. He refused to quit until he won.<p>

"You aren't going to win," Hermes grunted, throwing an uppercut. "I _invented _this sport!" But he was caught off guard when he saw Apollo watching their match out of the corner of his eye. Ares's fist connected with his jaw, and he winced in pain.

"I saw that you went to visit Dionysus today," Apollo called, clenching his fists to keep himself from throwing Ares away from Hermes.

"Not – a – good—time—Apollon!" Hermes replied, hitting Ares in the stomach with all the strength he could muster. The war god went flying across the room, hitting the wall with a sickening crunch. Hermes smirked, removing the ox hides from his hands and turning to Apollo. "But to answer your question, yes I did."

"Why did you leave Loki with him?"

Hermes shrugged, glancing over at Ares, who was stirring slightly. "He needed a place to hide. The other Norse gods are mad at him for some reason. I figured Dionysus would take good care of him."

"Anywhere is better than here," Apollo muttered with a slight shake of his head. Then he looked up at Hermes with a small smile. "Do you feel like racing?"

Hermes groaned loudly. "Not with _you._" Because Apollo was, of course, an overachiever. He almost always beat Hermes at racing and boxing, and had even beat Ares at wrestling (which was probably a good thing, since the god of light was a _very _sore loser).

"Please," Apollo begged, pouting.

"Fine," Hermes grumbled, reaching down to pull off his winged sandals. There was no cheating when Apollo was involved.

They made their way outside to the packed earth track that Hermes had created. It measured approximately 200 meters. They moved into the starting position, and on the count of three, took off running. Hermes started off in the lead, but Apollo caught up about 50 meters in and passed him with a snicker.

Hermes let out a frustrated cry and put on a burst of speed until he was right at Apollo's heels. The blonde's hair flew out behind him, looking even more golden than usual in the sunlight. They were neck to neck when they crossed the finish line.

"Well, at least you didn't beat me," Hermes declared, throwing himself to the ground and trying to remember to breathe through his nose.

Apollo didn't respond; he, too, was catching his breath.

"I miss this," Hermes murmured a few minutes later. Apollo turned to him with a questioning expression. Hermes gestured between them. "This. Spending time together and having fun. You calling me 'annoying brat'."

Apollo let out a bark of laughter. "Brat," he muttered affectionately. Hermes smiled up at the taller god with wide green eyes that seemed so innocent (_how misleading_). He reached up and cupped the archer's face, stroking the smooth skin with his thumbs.

"I'm sorry," Apollo whispered, closing his eyes and leaning into the touch. "I'm sorry that I wasn't fair to you." His hands moved up to cover Hermes'. "I never want to touch anyone else – or have anyone touch me – except you."

_The god who cannot tell a lie_.

Hermes' eyes fell to the lips from which a lie had never fallen, and blushed to think that he was the object of those sweet words. He leaned forward and captured those soft lips in a tender kiss. His hands slid down, first touching the archer's strong neck and then coming to a rest on his chest. He could feel Apollo's heart speed up, fluttering beneath his hand.

When they broke apart, Hermes buried his face in Apollo's neck. Their bodies fit together perfectly. "I wish you would stay with me forever," Hermes whispered into his ear. Apollo shivered slightly.

"You know I'll be here forever. I'll always be by your side."

* * *

><p>Apollo and Hermes were sitting in a courtyard on Mount Olympus, enjoying the sunny day. It wasn't often that they had free time, and being able to sit around doing absolutely nothing was a treat.<p>

"This is nice," Hermes sighed, falling back onto the warm grass and gazing up at the sky. Apollo hummed in agreement. Hermes turned his head so that he could look at Apollo's profile. It had been a long time since he had been able to look at the beautiful god without a reason. _I could look at him all day and never get bored,_ Hermes thought. _How can someone be so beautiful without even trying? _His beauty was as natural as the sun and the moon, the earth and the oceans.

"Some people don't like being stared at, you know," Apollo said without looking down at the younger god. There was a trace of amusement in his voice, and Hermes smiled.

"I know," he replied. "But it's impossible to _not _look at you."

Apollo didn't respond, but laid down next to Hermes and turned to his side so that they were lying face to face. "You can stare at me as much as you like," the blonde said softly.


	14. Chapter 14

_"I know you feel the same way_

_'Cause you told me drunk on your birthday_

_As you pulled me near, whispered in my ear_

_'Don't ever let it end'."_

_-Nickelback_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 14: A Party<em>

* * *

><p>When Dionysus finally took his place as a god on Mount Olympus, he decided to celebrate with a party. The several years he had spent in India had made him acquire a taste for wine; consequently, there was an excessive amount of drinking at the celebration.<p>

Hermes had never been a heavy drinker, but his younger brother forced goblet after goblet of wine on him. "It won't hurt you," Dionysus reassured him with a wide smile. So Hermes obeyed, drinking everything that Dionysus pushed his way. It wasn't until much later that he started to feel – different. His vision became distorted and his stomach felt as though it was doing somersaults. But somehow, he didn't care.

About halfway into the party, he found himself hanging from Dionysus's arm, giggling madly. "Isn't this fun?" Dionysus asked in a voice that seemed unusually loud. Hermes nodded, and reached out to grab an olive from a nearby tray but ended up stumbling into Ares. Dionysus reached out in an attempt to steady him but lost his own balance in the process, and the two fell to the floor in a heap, chortling noisily.

"Hermes?" an incredulous voice asked. Hermes looked up to see a certain blonde god hovering above him with raised eyebrows.

"Apollo!" Hermes cried out, reaching for his friend. Apollo stepped back as though Hermes had a contagious disease. "What do you think you're doing?" the archer hissed.

"He's having fun, for once in his life," Dionysus hiccupped.

"How fun is it going to be tomorrow morning when he's throwing his stomach up?" Dionysus opened his mouth to reply, but Apollo didn't give him a chance to speak. "I knew you would be a bad influence on him the moment I first saw you," the blonde declared, reaching down and grabbing Hermes around the waist. He swung the messenger over his shoulder, ignoring the feeble protests. "I'm taking him to bed."

"I'm sure he would enjoy that," Dionysus called after him. "He's obsessed with you, you know."

"It's true," Hermes giggled in his ear, twisting his body so that he could pat Apollo on the face. "You're so pretty."

Apollo gritted his teeth and kept walking until he reached Hermes' room. He pushed the curtain aside and laid Hermes down atop the bed. When he turned to leave, Hermes said, "You aren't going to stay with me?"

The words and the tone in which Hermes said them made Apollo shiver with desire. Here was the object of his affections, looking at him with sweet green eyes, offering himself to the archer. Apollo took a deep breath to clear his head and quietly said, "You're drunk. I'm not going to take advantage of you."

"You don't understand!" Hermes protested, sitting up. "I think about this _every day—_how much I want you—want to touch you—" His voice trailed off and he looked at Apollo with a pleading expression. When the older god said nothing, Hermes asked in a quivering voice, "Don't you feel the same way?"

Apollo exhaled loudly, looking up at the ceiling as though he was asking his father for advice. "Of course I feel the same way," he finally said, running a hand through his hair and pinching the bridge of his nose. "But we'll talk about this tomorrow when you're in a better state of mind."

"We don't have to talk," Hermes purred, quickly regaining his posture. He shook his dark hair out of his face and shrugged off his outer cloak, revealing slender but muscular arms. As Apollo watched, he stood up and attempted to move towards the archer – but tripped over a stool and went crashing towards the ground. "Ow," he groaned.

"Would you _please _go to bed?" Apollo asked in exasperation, helping the dazed messenger up and pushing him back towards the bed.

"Only if you come with me," Hermes mumbled, latching on to Apollo's arm and pulling him onto the bed. So Apollo laid down with a sigh, and Hermes curled into his side.

* * *

><p>Hermes started groaning as soon as he opened his eyes. He couldn't remember ever feeling so sick. He groped around for the cup of water he always kept at his bedside – and then squaked. He had grabbed a handful of someone's hair. Who was in his bed?<p>

He struggled to sit up and blinked rapidly before peering over at the other side of the bed. The only thing he saw was a yard of – _golden _hair. Oh no. _No no no no no no no no! _

"Apollo!" Hermes squeaked, and the god in question sat up, pulling the blanket off of his face. "Huh?" he said in a sleepy voice. Even in the morning he was breathtaking.

"What –" Hermes began to ask, but choked on his own voice. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "What are you doing in my bed?"

"You asked me to sleep here."

Which was exactly what Hermes had feared.

"I – I did?"

Apollo nodded. His lips turned up in a small smile. "I didn't think it would be a good idea to leave you here alone, anyway."

Hermes blushed. "Was it that bad?"

"You were following Ares around and poking him in his - ah-hem—_buttocks." _

Hermes groaned, burying his face in his hands. Ares was probably furious, which was never a good thing. Apollo's smile widened as though he had read Hermes' mind. He climbed out of bed, running a hand through his ridiculously long hair and stretching out his muscles. Hermes forced himself not to watch, opting to stare out the window instead. "I'll see you later," Apollo said as he tied his hair back. Hermes, lost in thought, didn't answer.

* * *

><p>"Where have you been?!" Hermes demanded of Apollo.<p>

It had been a week since Dionysus's party, and this was the first time Hermes had seen Apollo since the morning after.

"On Earth," was Apollo's vague response. He was sitting on his throne polishing his lyre. Hermes was standing in front of him with his hands on his hips.

"'On Earth'?" Hermes echoed. "'_On Earth'?! _Do you have any idea how worried your sister has been? How worried _I've _been?!"

"Maybe it's not your business to worry about me," Apollo snapped, setting aside the instrument.

Hermes recoiled at the sharp words and stared at Apollo with hurt in his green eyes.

Apollo sighed. "I didn't mean to say it like that. There's a reason that I left for awhile, Hermes. This _thing _between us has to stop."

Hermes was silent, so Apollo continued. "Zeus is making me marry Persephone," he said, not quite meeting the messenger's eyes.

Hermes felt like he had been hit by one of his father's thunderbolts. "But I thought you talked him out of that!"

Apollo shrugged. "Demeter talked to me about it. Apparently if she is wed to someone besides Hades, she would be free from her bind to the Underworld."

Hermes was speechless for several moments. When he finally found his voice, he said, "So that's it? You're just – going to marry her? Just like that?"

"Is there a reason why I shouldn't?" he countered.

And Hermes had no answer.


	15. Chapter 15

_"I don't know what's worth fighting for_

_Or why I have to scream_

_I don't know why I instigate_

_And say what I don't mean_

_I don't know how I got this way_

_I know it's not alright_

_So I'm breaking the habit_

_I'm breaking the habit tonight"_

_-Linkin Park_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 15: Olympic Games<em>

* * *

><p>It wasn't until a week after the incident with Apollo that the messenger finally left the safety of his room. After a very thorough scolding from Zeus about neglecting his duties, he began to make his way out of the temple with the intention of delivering the day's messages and perhaps paying a visit to his favorite athletes. He wasn't halfway down the mountain when he ran into Ares (literally). Nervously, he looked up at the massive war god, who was staring down at him with an unreadable expression.<p>

"About the party," Hermes began. "I've been meaning to tell you - I wasn't in my right mind, and I'm sorry if I – er – _offended _you in any way, or made you feel uncomfortable."

Ares was silent for several moments, and just when Hermes was considering stepping around him, he spoke up. "It didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, I…" He hesitated, looking down at his feet. Hermes stared at the top of his head in confusion.

"Ever since you came to live with us at the palace, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," Ares finally confessed. "There's something about you I can't resist." He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's odd, I'll admit. You pale in comparison to Aphrodite, and you have none of Apollo's beauty, but I want neither of them like I want you."

"As honored as I am by this," Hermes said wryly, pulling on Ares's hand and leading them to a vacant room. "I don't think I can…" But then he stopped, looking at the expression that had crossed Ares's face. It wasn't the same Ares that Hermes was familiar with. His eyes were wide and pleading. His lips were slightly parted, as though he was prepared to begin begging with Hermes. He was the exact opposite of the other men and gods that Hermes had been with. He was wild, untamed, and destructive.

Something inside Hermes clicked, and he felt a surge of feelings for Ares. "Alright," Hermes said quietly. "We can give this a try."

"Really?" Ares breathed, dark eyes sparkling.

Hermes nodded, biting his lower lip thoughtfully. "It's not something I would normally do, but I like trying new things. And one more thing," Hermes hastily added as Ares leaned in for a kiss. "Do you mind if we keep this secret? I can't see the rest of the pantheon taking it very well." Apollo and Ares had an extremely tentative relationship, and Hermes couldn't even imagine the look on the blonde's face if he discovered their relationship.

Ares's eyebrows rose slightly, but he nodded in agreement. With the bright smile that he was so famous for, Hermes leaned forward, capturing Ares's lips in their first kiss. It was everything Ares had imagined it would be, and within seconds he was demanding more. Hermes eagerly complied, parting his lips and letting his new lover explore every inch of his mouth. The winged cap came off, quickly followed by Ares's golden helmet. Hands ran through hair, pulling roughly. Then Ares's hands fell to Hermes' chest, slowly trailing down to his hips. When the hands began pulling up his tunic, Hermes pulled away, gasping, "Slow down!"

"Why?" Ares growled, attempting to reclaim the messenger's lips. Hermes put a hand on his chest, holding him back.

"I don't want this to happen too fast. I'm tired of one-night relationships. If that's all you want from me, I don't think this is going to work."

Ares sighed, sitting back. "Of course that's not all I want from you. Just – give me a moment." The war god leaned against a nearby wall, inhaling deeply and trying to fight off the waves of lust. Hermes leaned over and picked up his discarded cap, fighting the urge to laugh as he swept back his hair. "Better?" the messenger asked after a moment. Ares nodded, smiling wryly.

"There's something about you that can unravel even the most fearsome of gods, little messenger."

Hermes smiled up at Ares wickedly. It wasn't the first time he had heard such a statement.

* * *

><p><em>Several years later<em>

"You need to learn how to control your sons!" Hermes heard Zeus roar. Reluctantly, the messenger stepped into the throne room. He was met with the sight of Zeus waving his arms in the air, a sheepish-looking Poseidon, a worried Aphrodite, blank-faced Apollo, and a woman that Hermes recognized as Eriboea.

"I've tried!" Poseidon argued. "But not even the gods can control them!"

"I will not have them kidnapping my sons!"

"Ares murdered - !"

"What about Ares?" Hermes cut in quickly, earning suspicious looks from both Aphrodite and Apollo. He ignored them; his lover had been missing for more than a year and his worry had escalated to its highest point.

"He was kidnapped by the giants," Zeus snapped, continuing to glare at his older brother.

"Where is he?"

Eriboea spoke up. "They have him imprisoned in a gold jar."

Every god in the room blinked at this odd statement. Hermes cringed at the implication – what torture was Ares going through?

"You have to go get him," Zeus ordered. Hermes had expected nothing less, and with a shake of his head he dived towards Earth.

He didn't need directions to locate Ares. Every god left their own mark on the surface of the earth, and Ares had been in the same spot for a long time. He found his lover in a remote cave. The first thing he heard upon entering was a shriek so loud that it shook the ground he walked on. Knowing he had found the right place, Hermes sprinted through the cave until he spotted a golden urn in a small alcove. "Ares!" he shouted. There was no response for several seconds. Then…

"Hermes? Is that you?"

"Yes," Hermes called back in relief, rushing forward to pick up the urn and immediately pulling off the lid. He turned it upside down – and out fell Ares in an undignified heap.

His normally-dark skin was deathly pale, and he was trembling. Hermes stared at him in shock before hurrying forward to pick up his cold hands. "I'm going to take you home, alright?" he whispered, and Ares nodded mutely.

* * *

><p>In moments they were standing in the throne room – or rather, Hermes was standing, carrying a half-conscious Ares.<p>

"Ares?" Zeus asked, coming forward to stand in front of his son. "Are you alright, son?"

Ares didn't answer, but clung tighter to Hermes. "He's been through a lot," Hermes said to Zeus, trying to ignore the fact that Apollo's blue eyes were boring into the back of his head. He could almost feel the heat of the glare.

"I can see that," Zeus replied, looking worried. As much as the king disliked his oldest son, he couldn't help but care about all of his children. "Do you mind taking him to his room?"

Hermes nodded, beginning to walk in that direction. To his dismay, Apollo followed. Neither of them spoke until Hermes had pushed aside the curtain that hung in the entrance to Ares's room and then deposited the older god on his bed.

"Alright, enough of the dancing around," Apollo finally snapped, crossing his arms. "What's going on here?"

"You can't mind your own business, can you?" Hermes snapped back. Apollo's eyes flashed dangerously, but Hermes raised his chin defiantly.

"Hermes," Ares moaned from his spot on the bed. Green and blue eyes shot to the unconscious god, and then Apollo looked back at Hermes with accusation written all over his face. "So it _is _true. I've heard the rumors, but I never thought you would stoop so low."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermes demanded, quickly becoming angry.

"He's not good enough for you!"

"Who are you to decide what's good enough for me?"

"I'm older than you, so therefore I'm smarter!"

"You're not older than me by more than five years!" Hermes shouted. "And besides, you aren't exactly known for making the most rational decisions!"

At these words, a seething Apollo stormed from the room, leaving behind a fuming Hermes.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Apollo and Hermes were still ignoring each other. Ares, who had no idea what had taken place, was confused but asked no questions.<p>

The Olympics games were set to take place that week, and Ares encouraged Hermes to attend. "It'll make you feel better," he coaxed, so Hermes gave in. They walked towards the stadium together, heading down the mountain at a leisurely pace. Hermes found himself looking forward to the games, especially the races. Track was his forte, and he loved watching other people run almost as much as he liked to run himself.

"Where should we sit?" Ares asked, and Hermes shrugged, glancing around. That was when he spotted a familiar face standing next to the judge's exedra. He nudged Ares, and gestured with his hand. Together they stared at Apollo, who was wearing his now-all-too-familiar glare. A heated expression crossed Ares's face, and he began to storm towards the blond, muttering, "This has got to stop!" Hermes stayed close to his heels. Ares didn't stop walking until he was face-to-face with Apollo, who didn't move an inch.

"Do you see something you like, brother, or do you just enjoy staring?" Ares spat. With narrowed eyes, Apollo reached up, wiping spittle from his face.

"I was trying to figure out what the messenger sees in someone who can't even control their saliva," the archer replied dryly, wiping his hand on his chiton.

"So that's what this is about," Ares exclaimed, throwing his hands up and laughing mirthlessly. "You're jealous. Jealous because he chose a real man over _you_."

Hermes' eyebrows rose, and he looked at Apollo with interest, curious as to what his response would be. To his surprise, the blonde's mouth curled in a cold smile. "A real man? Your thirst for blood, your destruction in war, and your tendency to slaughter anyone who insults you are a disguise for your weak personality. Never have you set out past your own front door without returning in complete and utter humiliation. You may look like a man, but you are naught but a child."

Halfway through this speech, Ares began to tremble with rage. Hermes laid a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him, but the older god merely brushed him off, squaring his shoulders and standing up straight. "We will decide this today," he said in a barely-controlled voice. "I challenge you to a boxing match, Apollon, and the god who walks away victorious will maintain his status as a 'real man'."

Apollo bowed his golden head in agreement, and for a split second his eyes met Hermes'. There was a sparkle of mirth in that sapphire gaze; of cruelty that everyone knew Apollo was capable of. _This won't end well, _Hermes thought, and Apollo smiled as though he had heard that thought.


	16. Chapter 16

_"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." -Lao Tzu_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 16: Because I love you<em>

* * *

><p>"You don't have to do this," Hermes said for what seemed like the millionth time.<p>

"Yes, I do," Ares replied as he pulled off every shred of clothing. Hermes sighed and handed him a jar of olive oil.

"You know how competitive Apollo is."

"I'm undefeated in boxing. He'll never be able to beat me," Ares said confidently as he began to slather his body with the oil.

"If you say so," Hermes muttered.

* * *

><p>When Apollo and Ares met each other for the match, the crowd instantly began to buzz with excitement and awe. Hermes could understand why; the two gods were truly a sight to behold. Both were flawless in appearance and were the true image of what an athlete should be, yet they were as different as the day and night. Ares was dark-skinned, dark-haired, and dark-eyed, and he wore a menacing expression. Apollo was pale-skinned, blonde, and blue-eyed, and his expression was serene. He radiated confidence.<p>

Hermes was perched on a seat next to the judge's bench, chewing on his lower lip. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

_Of _course _something bad is about to happen, _he thought to himself, mentally rolling his eyes. Two men that he loved dearly were about to beat each other to bloody pulps.

"This isn't good," a voice whispered in his ear, and he turned around to see a figure covered from head to toe in a cloak. Peering beneath the hood, he recognized the face of Aphrodite. He gestured for her to sit next to him before murmuring an agreement.

The match began seconds later, and Ares instantly jumped forward, throwing punches in rapid succession. Apollo slipped from side to side quickly – Hermes could tell that he had been anticipating this attack (_of course he did, he can see the future_)—and the punches flew past the blonde's head harmlessly. On the last punch that Ares threw, Apollo moved quickly, jabbing his fist at Ares's forearm and knocking the god off balance. With the war god's defense down, Apollo threw an uppercut – his right hand made contact with Ares's chin, causing the older god's head to fly back – followed by a hook to the side of his head. Ares fell backwards, dazed, but didn't stay down long – a second later he was back on his feet, countering Apollo's attack with what Hermes liked to call a "rip"…a hook to the liver. Hermes grabbed Aphrodite's hand, gripping it tightly, but he needn't have worried – Apollo didn't even stumble. Ares, who had been expecting his opponent to fall, froze in surprise for a split second. That was all the time Apollo needed to throw a punch directly in Ares's face. Hermes could almost hear the sound of Ares's nose breaking. Blood poured down his face freely, dripping from his chin and running down his chest in crimson trails. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The crowd erupted in applause. It was the result that Hermes had been expecting. When Apollo walked towards him, he stood up and offered his hand in congratulations. "You fought well."

"It wasn't a matter of fighting well," Apollo replied. "It was a matter of using my head and not relying on brute strength."

"Athena would be proud," Aphrodite spoke up from behind Hermes, and Apollo looked over in surprise. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I was bored and decided to come watch you beat my lover senseless."

At the word 'lover', Apollo threw a dirty look at Hermes, who glanced away uncomfortably.

"You needn't behave like I'm stupid," Aphrodite said impatiently. "I know about Ares and Hermes."

Hermes' eyes shot wide open. "How?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she snorted. "You may be an adequate liar, but you're hardly smooth when it comes to hiding your relationship in public. You went from avoiding him like the plague to spending hours on end together."

Hermes looked down sheepishly as Apollo hooted with laughter.

"If you were anyone else, I would make it a priority to tear your limbs off," Aphrodite continued. "But you're one of my favorite brothers. So…" She let her voice trail off, but Hermes understood what she was trying to say.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Apollo's smile dropped like a dead fly. He glowered at Aphrodite, his lips twisted into a snarl. "There isn't _anything _you're good for! How could you let them continue this?"

She gazed at him, a knowing smirk forming upon her face. "Why do you care so much, Apollo?"

Hermes waited for his answer, curiosity written all over his young face.

"Because," Apollo finally blurted out. He turned to Hermes, looking the messenger directly in the eye. His cheeks were slightly pink. "Because I love you. I'm in love with you, and I don't know how you could do this to me. That day when we raced, I told you I was willing to be faithful – that I didn't want anyone except _you _to touch me – and what did you do? You ran out and crawled into bed with the first god you saw!"

Aphrodite turned and stared at Hermes, who stepped back as though he'd been slapped in the face. "You – you _what?_" In his mind he was thinking, _I should have known. _But Apollo had always been the one who insisted on 'just being friends', who said that their relationship would never work out, who continuously shoved Hermes away. Before Hermes could point any of this out, Apollo bowed his head. His braid fell forward, resting against his sweaty chest. "I'm not being fair; I shouldn't let my jealousy be a factor in this. But the fact remains that I love you." He looked up, and upon meeting his gaze, Hermes felt the familiar sensation of forgetting how to breathe. He couldn't see anything past the beautiful creature in front of him, and suddenly he was thinking, _Who cares if he _is _being unreasonable? We're all unreasonable sometimes. It doesn't matter because he loves me. I'm the only one he wants. He's the most beautiful thing in creation and he loves _ME. _Me me me me me me…_

"—Hermes?" Aphrodite's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Huh?" Hermes asked blankly. He was still staring into Apollo's eyes.

"I asked what you're going to do about Ares."

_Ares? Oh, right! Ares. _

"I guess I should talk to him," Herms muttered, tearing his gaze away from Apollo and glancing towards the boxing area, where Ares still lay unconscious.

"That would be the reasonable thing to do," Apollo said softly, and in that moment, he was the Apollo that Hermes had met as an infant. Reasonable, soft-spoken, and clear-headed. "But may I ask what you plan to do about _our _situation?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Aphrodite scoffed. "Apollo, have you not seen the way Hermes watches you? He's been madly in love with you for the past century. The sexual tension between the two of you has been driving me _mental." _

It _had _been awhile since they'd shared a bed – well, at least in _that _way. When Hermes looked up, he saw that Apollo was looking at him hopefully. He laughed.

"Not yet, Apollo. I still have to sort out things with Ares."

At this, Apollo scowled in the direction of the unconscious war god. His expression clearly read, "Who cares about him?"

"I still care about him," Hermes answered the unspoken statement. "And _wait! _What are _you _going to do about Persephone? You know…your _fiancée." _He scowled.

Apollo's dirty expression became sheepish. "I'll figure something out. But I don't care about her, Hermes. I love _you_."

The tender words nearly melted what was left of Hermes' resilience. Apollo leaned forward, his eyes boring into Hermes', silently pleading _Let me have you. I need you. _Hermes' eyes fluttered shut, waiting and wanting to feel those lips against his. But then…

"What's going on here?" Ares's voice shouted.


	17. Chapter 17

_"I'm not supposed to love you, I'm not supposed to care. I'm not supposed to live my life wishing you were there. I'm not supposed to wonder where you are or what you do...I'm sorry, I can't help myself. I'm in love with you." -Unknown_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 17: Maia<em>

* * *

><p>"Nothing!" Hermes immediately shouted, leaping away from Apollo.<p>

"It didn't look like nothing," Ares said suspiciously, eyeing the two flushed gods. Aphrodite snorted, and Apollo shot her a nasty look. She sobered and grabbed Ares's arm. "Let's go see what Zeus is up to, darling," she said quickly, pulling him away from the group. He followed her reluctantly, giving Hermes and Apollo one last glare that clearly read, "We aren't finished here."

"I still don't understand what you see in him," Apollo muttered as soon as Ares and Aphrodite were out of earshot.

Hermes didn't answer; in fact, he had barely heard the archer's words. He was staring towards the south with a curious expression on his face. Having noticed this, Apollo furrowed his eyebrows. "I hope you aren't plotting something."

Hermes shook his head and bit his lip, looking up at Apollo's face. "No – it's just—I was thinking—"

Apollo waited patiently. "Yes?"

"I want you to meet my mother."

"You mean the nymph who let you steal my cattle?"

"She didn't _let _me steal them. She was asleep. And that's not the point."

_A thousand years later and he's still upset about that. _

"Then what's the point?"

"There isn't a point. I just want you to meet her."

"But you said – never mind," Apollo sighed. "Let's go, then."

Hermes beamed and grabbed Apollo's hand. In the space of a second, they landed at the mouth of a cave. The sky above was dark and stormy, strongly reminding Hermes of the night he had been born.

"I haven't been here in centuries," Apollo said, looking around with curious eyes. Not much had changed in the mountains of Arcadia.

Hermes smiled and pulled on Apollo's hand, tugging him through the mouth of the cave. "Come on."

The interior of the cave, originally dark and damp, brightened considerably at the arrival of the two gods.

"Lord Apollo," a voice said, and both the messenger and archer turned around to face the speaker. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've wanted the opportunity to speak with you since the day you took my son from his crib."

Hermes snickered as Apollo's eyebrows rose. "Your son had the impudence to steal my cattle."

The woman – Maia – smiled at Apollo. Her eyes, which were bright green like her son's, danced with laughter.

"Don't worry, Mother," Hermes said, stepping forward to hug the nymph. "Apollo still hasn't gotten over the theft of his sacred cows. He never did learn how to laugh at jokes."

Apollo opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. He scowled and Hermes chuckled, reaching up to pull a strand of Apollo's hair as he had done ever since he was a child. Apollo shook his head and changed the subject.

"Tell me, Maia – why is a beautiful nymph like you dwelling in a dark cave?"

"I was never comfortable around other people," she responded quietly. "I prefer being by myself."

Apollo frowned slightly as he examined the mother of the god he loved. Hermes, he realized, was her spitting image. Maia had long black hair which fell down her back in a curly mass. Her eyes were almost too big for her delicate face. She was short, barely coming up to Apollo's elbow. Her son was only slightly taller, coming up a little past the archer's shoulder.

"You know, you aren't how I imagined you would be," she said in the same quiet voice, gazing up at Apollo.

"How did you imagine me?"

"More fierce, perhaps. And older."

It was a statement he had heard before. When people heard of his deeds, they picture someone older – a warrior, maybe – and not a blonde, blue-eyed god who looked to be no more than in his late teens or early twenties.

"He could surprise you," Hermes said to his mother, thinking of the earlier boxing match between Ares and Apollo. Or Apollo killing Amphion and Orion.

Apollo furrowed his eyebrows at Hermes as though he had read that thought. Which he probably had.

Hermes watched as Apollo stepped forward, taking both of Maia's hands in his own. He looked deep into her eyes and said in his melodious voice, "I love your son very much, and therefore I love you. I want you to know that the gods will always be watching over you, keeping you safe from harm and wrong-doing." He let go of her hands, and reached up to his own neck, unclasping the necklace of seashells that rested there. Hermes knew that Apollo himself had collected those seashells from the sea around the island of Delos.

"Please accept this gift," he said softly, placing the necklace around Maia's neck. "As long as you wear it, people will know that you hold a place in my heart." With that, he dropped a kiss to each of her cheeks and backed away. Maia continued to look up at him in awe. Hermes reached for Apollo's hand and squeezed it tightly in silent thanks.

Apollo returned the squeeze, shooting a small smile at the messenger.


	18. Chapter 18

_"You don't die from a broken heart, you only wish you did." -Unknown_

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><p><em>Chapter 18: A Broken Heart<em>

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><p>Apollo had apparently told Artemis about his situation with Persephone, because she had taken it upon herself to convince Hades to ask Zeus for Persephone's hand in marriage. Then Apollo would be under no obligation to marry her. Hermes tried to convince her that she needn't go to all this trouble, but she simply replied, "Yes, I do." And he didn't question her, because the truth was that he <em>did <em>need her to do this. He couldn't stand by and watch Apollo marry Persephone. Whenever he thought about it, it felt like someone had reached into his chest and ripped his heart out.

He wasn't sure when he had started loving Apollo, or when their relationship had went from exchanging friendly banter and spending time together to – well, something more.

So when Artemis came up with a plan to convince Hades to talk to Zeus, he went along with it willingly. Together they spoke to Hades, telling him about Zeus's plans to have Apollo marry Persephone. It worked out better than they had anticipated. Hades marched off to the throne room in a fury, prepared to confront his younger brother. In the space of an hour, Zeus had set the date for Persephone and Hades' wedding.

Hermes, though, had been so preoccupied worrying about Apollo's engagement to Persephone that he completely forgot about his own situation with Ares.

Ares, however, did not.

"Hermes!" a voice shouted one day, and the messenger turned around, coming face to face with a distressed-looking Ares.

"What's wrong?" Hermes asked, looking at the war god with a frown.

"The entire pantheon is whispering, Hermes," he replied. His forehead was crinkled with worry.

At these words, Hermes felt his stomach jump into his throat, realizing that he had forgotten to talk to Ares about the situation with Apollo.

"Oh no," Hermes murmured, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't want you to find out like this."

Hurt flooded Ares's dark face. "So it's true?"

Hermes paused, and then nodded. "I'm so sorry."

Ares took a deep breath. "I wish you had told me. But I knew there was a chance this might happen."

Now Hermes was confused. "You did?"

Ares smiled wryly. "You should see the way your eyes light up when you look at that blonde-haired idiot."

"Blonde-haired idiot?" a cool voice repeated. Apollo slipped through a nearby door, and his blue eyes met Ares's dark ones. "And just who might you be talking about, brother?"

Only two gods in the pantheon had blonde hair. One of them was the king. The other was Apollo.

Ares rolled his eyes. "You know who I was talking about, _brother_."

"You're right," Apollo agreed. "Your thoughts are annoyingly loud."

"So stay out of my head," Ares snapped.

"Or you could do both of us a favor and leave."

Hermes watched with raised eyebrows as the two older gods glared at each other. After several seconds, Ares scowled and then turned to leave.

"You didn't have to be so rude," Hermes said after the war god had left.

"Of course I did. Ares doesn't grasp the concept of a normal conversation. Hate and anger are the only things he understands."

Hermes opened his mouth to argue, but Apollo wasn't finished. "I still don't understand what you see in him. He is the _last_ person I would have imagined you being with."

Hermes sighed impatiently. "Does it matter, Apollon?"

"But why did you have to be with him in the first place?" Apollo grumped. "I can't put into words how much it hurt to see you with him."

"Right back at you," Hermes said under his breath, thinking of Apollo and his mortal lovers. Then in a normal voice, he repeated, "It doesn't matter. I wouldn't have been able to stay away from you, anyway." He held his hand out, and Apollo grasped it between both of his. Warmth and happiness shot through the messenger. Apollo smiled down at his elfish face.

In that moment, Hermes knew that everything would work out. Despite their differences, he didn't think there was anything that would ever be able to permanently come between them.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hermes<em>!"

Dust fell from the ceiling and settled on Hermes' face. The messenger sneezed, opening one eye with disdain. "Who's yelling?" he mumbled.

"Dunno," Apollo replied sleepily. Hermes pulled the blankets over his head and snuggled closer to the warm archer.

_"Get out of bed!"_

The voice was even louder now, and Hermes groaned. "Don't want to!" he yelled back.

He heard the sound of a curtain being shoved aside. Heavy footsteps shook the floor. An unwelcome hand ripped the blanket away from his head. "I don't care if you don't want to," his father snapped, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him out of bed. "It's nearly noon. I have work for you to do."

Zeus shoved a large bag of scrolls at his dark-haired son, still glaring at him with disapproval. "You can't lay in bed with Apollo all day, son. People will begin to talk."

"People already talk about us, Father," Apollo said from where he was stretched out on the bed in a cat-like manner. "Why should this time be any different?"

"I don't want you ruining the marriage plans I have laid out," the king responded. "Deliver those quickly," he added to Hermes before turning on his heel and leaving the room. Hermes stared after him, open-mouthed.

"You'll catch flies," Apollo said lazily. Hermes turned towards him.

"Marriage plans?" the messenger squawked. _"Again?!"_

Apollo waved his hand, obviously unconcerned. "His plans almost always fall through. Nobody wants to marry an Olympian. They're frightened by the stories they hear. Tis the reason we marry each other."

"But who does he want you to marry this time?" Hermes asked, setting down the bag of messages and taking a seat next to Apollo.

"He's been trying to convince Themis to let Dike to marry me. _Trying _being the key word," he added hastily, seeing the look of horror on Hermes' face. But the messenger wasn't comforted.

"_Themis? _Zeus's ex-wife, _Themis? Dike? _The _gatekeeper _Dike?"

"Yes."

"But - !" Hermes sputtered.

"Hermes," Apollo said softly. He reached out and took the messenger's hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing his fingers. "Please don't worry. Everything will work out. I promise."

So Hermes took a deep breath and squeezed Apollo's hand. It was his way of saying, _Alright. I'll try, but only because I trust you. _

* * *

><p>Hermes pushed the situation from his mind, trusting that Apollo would find a solution to the problem. Months passed until one day, he found himself laying in one of the temple's courtyards, enjoying the sunny day.<p>

He had just begun to drift off when he heard raised voices, which wasn't entirely unusual. But he sat up anyway, rubbing his eyes and looking around for the source of the yelling. Seconds later, Apollo stormed into the courtyard, clutching his bow and arrow and looking absolutely _furious. _Hermes shrank away from him, trying to decide if speaking would be a good idea.

He didn't have to worry, because Apollo spoke first.

"I hate Themis!" the blonde raged, throwing his weapon down and clutching at his hair with both hands.

_Themis? Why would he hate – _Oh.

"No," Hermes whispered, horrified. Only one thing could have made Apollo so upset with their distant relative.

Themis had agreed to let Apollo marry Dike.

"How could she agree to this?" Hermes cried out, leaping to his feet.

"I don't know," Apollo fumed, pacing back and forth.

"But why _you_? Why not –" He struggled to think of another unwed Olympian that Themis would deem suitable.

Ares. Bloodthirsty and wild.

Dionysus. Young and a drunk.

Hermes himself. Mischievous and – well, that was about it.

And then there was Apollo, who wasn't wild, mischievous, or drunk.

"This can't be happening," Hermes whispered. "There has to be something we can do."

Apollo shook his head and looked at the messenger with wide blue eyes. "I don't think there is," he said with despair.

* * *

><p>Hermes would never forget overhearing a certain conversation between Apollo and Artemis. The conversation that had left him heartbroken for the next three thousand years.<p>

He had found the twins at Artemis's temple in Ephesus. Hermes had just heard the news that Dike had professed her love for a mortal to her mother, and Themis had consented to their marriage. Everyone was now happy. There was no more reason to worry.

But just before he entered the temple, he heard the sounds of fighting. His eyebrows furrowed. What could they possibly be arguing about?

"What were you thinking?" Apollo was shouting. "Hades is the _last _person you should have gone to for help!"

"Does it matter?" Artemis yelled back. "It worked, didn't it? Hades convinced the mortal to ask for her hand, and you aren't obligated to marry her anymore! You're free to pursue Hermes!"

"_I don't want to pursue Hermes!"_

Hermes felt like he was falling in a vast abyss. He grabbed onto the stone wall for support.

_I don't want to pursue Hermes. _

But Apollo had said he was in love with him. Had whispered those three words in his ear.

How had this happened?

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps coming his way. Apollo appeared seconds later, and a look of shock crossed his face upon seeing Hermes.

"Hermes – how long have you been here?"

"Long enough," the messenger mumbled, trying not to look at the archer's beautiful face.

"Let me explain –"

The messenger looked at the ground, blinking back tears of anger. _You're a god. Act like one, _he told himself. So, taking a deep breath, he looked up and met the sapphire eyes with determination.

"You don't have to explain anything," he said coldly. "I heard what you said. And I understand. After all, what would Phoebus Apollo ever want with the petty little messenger? Don't worry, my lord –" He bowed mockingly. "I won't bother you again."

And with a beat of his wings, he disappeared.


	19. Chapter 19

_You will never know true happiness until you have truly loved, and you will never understand what pain really is until you have lost it." -Anonymous_

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><p><em>Chapter 19: When There Aren't Enough Things to Throw<em>

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><p>"You don't understand!" Apollo cried out, following Hermes into his room.<p>

"There isn't anything to understand!" Hermes shouted, whirling around. The whites of his eyes were turning red. "I heard you say it! You've been leading me on this entire time. What kind of person _are _you?" He grabbed the nearest item – which happened to be a jar of ink – and threw it at Apollo's head. The blonde ducked.

"I haven't been leading you on!"

Hermes wasn't listening. "What did I do to deserve this?" he yelled, seizing a clay mug and heaving it in Apollo's general direction.

"Would you stop throwing things and just listen to me?" Apollo asked desperately, jumping to the side to avoid being hit. The mug smashed against the wall. "I just –" He ducked as the winged cap flew across the room. "—thought it might be better if we stay friends!"

"I can't be friends with you!" Hermes screamed. A spider fell from the ceiling and scampered under the bed.

"Why not?" Apollo demanded.

"Don't you _realize? _Are you _stupid? _I'm in love with you, you blonde _idiot!" _Several colorful Greek curses followed this sentence. Apollo had never seen the messenger this enraged. His face was now completely red and tears of fury swam in his green eyes.

"But – I thought –"

"Are you _deaf?_" Hermes screamed. "_I'm in love with you!"_

By this time, the entire pantheon had gathered outside the room, listening intently. Athena and Aphrodite exchanged knowing glances. Artemis was shaking her head sadly.

"I love you," Hermes continued. "And you – you –" With a strangled cry he flew across the room with his fists flying. Both gods fell to the ground with Hermes swearing in ways that had never been heard and Apollo shouting protests.

"How could you do this to me?" the messenger shrieked, shaking the older god.

The pantheon burst into the room, Zeus leading the way. When they saw what was happening, Ares leapt forward, pulling Hermes off the archer. Artemis ran to her twin's side.

"Hermes, stop!" Ares shouted. The brunette was still struggling. Tears were pouring down his face and he was gasping for breath.

"Is he alright?" Zeus asked Artemis. She nodded and pulled her brother off the floor, leading him from the room.

Ares threw Hermes onto the bed. The messenger curled up into a tight ball, facing away from his family. The other gods looked at each other helplessly. "What should we do?" Aphrodite whispered.

"Just leave him be," Athena answered. "He needs to be alone for now."

So one by one, they filed out of the room.

* * *

><p>After that, Hermes left Mount Olympus. He gave no warning, but merely packed his bags and left the morning after his fight with Apollo. He didn't think he could stand seeing the archer's face.<p>

He went to live with his mother in Arcadia for a while, but found that being in his home state was too depressing. This was where his relationship with Apollo had begun. And every time he saw the seashell necklace around his mother's neck, he had the urge to weep.

So he went to Egypt, where Loki still resided. He had changed bodies over the centuries, and now had the appearance of a middle-aged man with wavy blonde hair and hazel eyes. "I probably look like a pedophile," Loki had snorted when Hermes, who looked to be in his late teens (at the most) had jumped into his arms.

"What are you doing here?" the Norse trickster asked. "Where's Blondie? I thought you two were joined at the hip."

Hermes winced at the mention of the archer. Loki, taking the hint, immediately sobered. "Oh. Sorry."

"He hurt me," Hermes mumbled. "He said he loved me, but now I know he didn't mean it."

Loki frowned. "Isn't Apollo the god of truth? I thought he couldn't tell a lie."

Hermes shrugged and sighed. He didn't want to think about such things right now.

"I'm sorry," Loki apologized again. "When you're ready to talk about it, I'm here."

"Thank you," Hermes whispered, staring out across the desert. He could see the Great Pyramid in the distance. "But I don't know if I'll ever be ready."


	20. Chapter 20

_"It's a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up." -JK Rowling_

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><p><strong>Chapter 20: Through the Centuries<strong>

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><p>The years passed on. Hermes remained with Loki, and the two became closer than ever. They weren't lovers but the closest of friends.<p>

Loki liked living in style, and being a god had its perks – he was automatically recognized as the highest of nobles in all of the lavish royal courts in Europe. Hermes wasn't sure _exactly _how he did it – he thought maybe Loki had mind-control capabilities.

The court of Duke William X of Aquitaine was the first court that the two tricksters joined. This was early in the 12th century. The people of Aquitaine loved parties, feasts, and dancing. Loki instantly felt at home, and Hermes, feeling that he had nowhere else to go, settled down with him.

After Eleanor of Aquitaine (William's daughter) married into the French royal family, Hermes and Loki moved on as well. Eventually they found a place in England, in the Court of Henry VIII. King Henry spent money easily, which made for extremely lavish living. Hermes met each of his six wives: Catherine of Aragon, who gave birth to Princess Mary and whom the king left in favor of Anne Boleyn, who lost her head after giving birth to Princess Elizabeth; Jane Seymour, who died bringing Prince Edward into the world; Anne of Cleves, who, in the king own words, "looked like a horse"; Catherine Howard, who was but a teenager and who committed the treasonous crime of adultery; and finally, Catherine Parr, who remained the king's wife until he died. It was tragic to watch each of these women come and go, especially since most of them left in coffins.

Hermes and Loki posed as members of the king's Privy Council. They often had the pleasure of taking breakfast with the king. There was one morning where Princesses Mary and Elizabeth burst into the room, closely followed by their governess's; young Elizabeth climbed into Hermes' lap before the governess could catch her. Henry guffawed loudly, slapping his knee. Hermes picked up the child and handed her off to the governess, trying to hide his smile. The princess already had a head full of bright red hair, just like her father.

Hermes and Loki remained in the English Court for a long while. They were present when Henry died, and when ten-year-old Edward was crowned king. The boy's rule lasted a mere five years before he died of tuberculosis. Despite Hermes' objections, Edward named his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, heir to the throne; he had deemed his two sisters illegitimate. Jane was overthrown after nine days, and Mary seized the throne.

Loki loved Mary; Hermes did not. The new queen strongly reminded him of Ares. Perhaps it was the extensive slaughtering. Whatever the cause might be, when Mary died and Elizabeth became queen, it seemed like a great fog was lifted from England. People actually dared to smile again. There was only one small drawback to Elizabeth's reign: She refused to marry. A marriage would create an alliance between England and whichever country the groom came from. This problem was the main source of conflict between Elizabeth and the Privy Council. The subject was breeched at every meeting, but the queen refused to even discuss the matter. "Why," she demanded sharply, "why would a queen _want _to marry? If I remain unwed, then I can be both king and queen. I do not need a husband."

Other times, she would simply say, "I am already married to England."

It was after one such meeting when Hermes found himself alone with the woman who people now called "the Virgin Queen" (although Hermes was fairly certain that she was not, in fact, a virgin). She was collecting documents that required her signature. Hermes stayed at his seat, studying the queen's profile intently. Not many of her citizens knew what their queen actually looked like; her official portraits were all paintings of what she _wanted _them to see. Hermes would not call her beautiful, nor would he say that she was unattractive. She strongly resembled her mother; her curly red hair was the one feature she had inherited from her father. Her skin was dark, as were her eyes. Her cheekbones were high and her chin was pointed. Her nose was slightly hooked.

"If you stare at me any harder, Sir Ambrose," she said without looking up, "I fear that you shall bore several holes into my head."

Hermes smiled sheepishly. "My apologies, Your Majesty. I was just thinking…" His voice trailed off; he wasn't sure how to explain what he'd been thinking.

She smiled as though she understood what he was thinking. "You needn't explain. But there is something that I have been pondering. I never see you with a lady, and surely someone as handsome as yourself would have found love by now."

The queen didn't need to ask questions. The tone of her voice demanded an answer.

"There was someone I loved," he admitted. "But things didn't happen quite the way I wanted them to. After that, I lost interest in romance."

She studied him for a moment. "I shan't pry anymore," she then said. "Though I will tell you this: If you open your eyes, you will see things that you never before thought possible." With that, she turned on her heel and left, leaving Hermes staring after her incredulously. _What did _that _mean? _

* * *

><p>In an attempt to take her advice, he began analyzing things that he never would have paid attention to before. This ranged from the tapestries on the walls to the moldings in his room. Loki thought he had gone completely crazy.<p>

But then something happened that, indeed, he never would have thought possible.

It happened when he was preparing to enter the throne room. He was pacing outside the door, trying to decide how to tell the queen that France was once again planning to invade. Although he had long ago left his position as herald of the gods, he still found himself performing the duties of a messenger. He had just decided on what to say and was preparing to pull open the door – but the door opened before he could touch the knob. He stepped aside to let the person out, nodding his head curtly – but then his jaw dropped open.

Out walked a man with braided blond hair that hung down his back. Clearly, he was not English. No man in the Tudor court would be caught with anything other than short hair.

The stranger wore a white doublet that appeared to be made of silk, a gold jerkin, and a green cape. He didn't so much as glance at Hermes as he walked by.

It took a long moment for the messenger to come to his senses, but when he did, his jaw snapped shut and he dashed down the hall in the direction that the blond had gone. "Excuse me!" he shouted in English.

The man turned around, revealing eyes that were shockingly blue. Hermes only knew one person with eyes like that, but the man's face showed no sign of recognition. "Is there something you wanted?" the blond asked. He spoke English with a heavy Greek accent.

"Do – do I know you from somewhere?" Hermes stammered, switching over to Greek. He hadn't spoken his native language in a long time, but the words fell from his tongue easily.

The man studied his face for several seconds but then shook his head no. "You must have mistaken me for someone else, Sir. Excuse me." He bowed his head and walked away.

Hermes stared after him, dumbfounded. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He turned and sprinted back down the hall, bursting through the doors into the throne room. He skidded slightly on the marble floor but quickly regained his balance and sped past the guards, not bothering with any formalities. He came to an abrupt halt in front of the throne. The queen and her advisors looked down at him with shock.

"That man..." Hermes gasped, "...the man with the long blonde hair – who is he?"

The queen was too stunned to speak. It was considered a crime to speak to the queen – or any royal – without using their titles and fancy flourishes of speech.

A fellow groom from the Privy Council gawked at him but finally said, "He was a diplomat from Greece. Pray tell, Sir Ambrose – what is the meaning of this? You can't just burst in here."

But Hermes was no longer listening. He turned and ran out in the same manner he had arrived.

"Apollo!" he shouted, sprinting down the gallery. People stopped and stared, but he paid them no mind. _"Apollo!"_

"Sir Ambrose!" a familiar voice yelled. Hermes turned around and saw that Loki was storming towards him. The Norse god looked furious. "What are you _doing?_" he hissed.

"I saw him, Loki," Hermes whispered, forgetting that they were in the middle of a crowded hallway. "I saw Apollo."

Loki's eyes widened and he grabbed Hermes' wrist in a vice-like grip, dragging his fellow god away from the crowd that had gathered around them.

"Are you insane?" Loki spat when they were out of earshot. "You're going to ruin everything for us!"

"I—"

"I heard what you said," Loki snapped impatiently. "So what if Blondie showed up? _You _left _him_. If anything, he should be chasing you down the hall, not the other way around!"

Hermes opened his mouth to argue, but then realized it made sense. He was the one who had left Olympus, deserting his family and former lover in the process. Now here he was, running through the palace like a lunatic just because he thought he had glimpsed Apollo.

"Alright," Hermes grumbled, crossing his arms. "But there's still something I don't understand. What is he doing here?"

"Are you absolutely sure it was him?"

An image of bright blue eyes flashed through his mind, and Hermes nodded. "No one else has eyes that blue."

"Well, I don't know, then. Maybe he's stalking you."

Hermes shook his head, knowing that Apollo was too proud and dignified to stalk anyone, and then stepped outside into a bright and sunny garden for some fresh air. Loki followed him, still grumbling about his friend's idiocy, but Hermes ignored him and looked up at the sky. A strong breeze blew through the air, picking up fallen leaves from the ground. Colors of red and gold seemed to swirl through the air. When the breeze began to die down, the leaves fell to the earth. That was when a flash of green caught Hermes' eye. Looking up once more, he saw a single green leaf slowly drifting towards him as though from the sky. When the leaf was level with his eyes, he reached out and grabbed it with his thumb and forefinger.

"It's a laurel leaf," he whispered. Loki stared, dumbfounded. For the third time, Hermes looked up at the heavens and smiled.

In that moment, he knew that Apollo was still watching over him.


	21. Chapter 21

_"It takes one person to forgive; it takes two people to be reunited." -Lewis B. Smedes_

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><p><em>Chapter 21: That Night in Columbus<em>

* * *

><p>He left England soon after that, leaving Loki behind. He wanted time alone to think. But in a world that was quickly approaching a population of one billion, where would he find a completely secluded place? His immortal ears could pick up sounds from miles away. The earth had simply grown too noisy. He wandered around for years. Decades turned to centuries. Centuries turned to millennia.<p>

When he began to feel as though he was on the brink of insanity, he made the decision to go someplace that he had not ventured to in years. He dove into the Underworld.

What he saw upon arrival was completely unexpected. The place was deserted. The three judges were nowhere to be seen, and the ornate gate was wide open, left unguarded. Cautiously, Hermes stepped forward and slipped through the gate.

When the feeling of suffocation was over, he was met with the familiar sight of Hades' castle. The drawbridge was open. Hermes continued forward.

He found his uncle in a drawing room. The Lord of the Dead was sitting in an armchair, seemingly staring at nothing. He jerked out of his daze when Hermes entered the room.

"What do you want, brat?" he murmured, sweeping his straight black hair away from his face. Although he no longer hated Hermes, he still wasn't very fond of the messenger.

Hermes ignored the question. "Where is everybody?" he asked instead.

"Gone," Hades answered dully. "Surely you've noticed that our religion is all but dead? When people don't believe in the Underworld, they don't come here after death."

_No, _Hermes thought. _I didn't know that. _

"Sit down, if you want," Hades said, gesturing towards an empty chair. Hermes did so with a heavy sigh. Hades eyed him. "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know what to do," Hermes confessed.

"About what?"

"Well, awhile ago, I thought I saw Apollo at Hampton Court. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him ever since then. I can't decide if I should try to find him, or if I should let it be."

Hades tapped his long fingers against his thigh, his dark eyes watching his nephew thoughtfully. "This is really a matter of forgiveness," he finally said. "Do you forgive him for what he did to you? Because it would be a complete and utter waste of time if you sought him out just to engage in another fight."

Hermes pondered this for several moments. He couldn't decide if he had forgiven Apollo or not. Hades grew impatient waiting, so after a while he leaned towards the messenger as though about to confide a secret. "After you left," his uncle whispered, "the biggest fight I've ever seen broke out. There were those who were on Apollo's side, and those who – well, who weren't. Apollo argued that there had been a misunderstanding. He said that he had been under the impression that _you _no longer wanted to be with _him. _He thought you had taken a liking to Artemis."

"Why would he think – ohhhh," Hermes breathed, hit by a sudden wave of understanding. "He thought – _oh_." When Artemis and Hermes had been plotting a way to end Apollo's betrothal to Dike, Apollo had thought that Hermes was spending time with his twin because he liked her.

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me?" Hermes shouted. Hades shrugged.

"You never asked."

"Well, I have to find him! This was all a big misunderstanding! He probably thinks I hate him! Do you know where he is?"

Hades stared at him like he was an idiot. "Have you been living under a rock or are you just that stupid?"

"What are you talking about?" Hermes snapped, jumping to his feet and pacing back and forth.

Hades snorted. "Take a walk in any town, keep your eyes open, and you'll see what I'm talking about."

* * *

><p>So Hermes did. Columbus, Ohio was the first place he went. He ventured downtown, where, in the main square, he saw a massive screen. And there, in tight jeans and a see-through navy shirt, was Apollo, standing at the center of a group of men. "<em>The Radiant Messengers<em>: See them tonight at Nationwide Arena!" was scrolling under the picture in huge block letters. Hermes blinked, and then blinked again. He supposed it made sense that the god of music had joined a band. He tried to ignore the part of him that felt upset at the fact that Apollo was flaunting his beauty all over the world. There probably wasn't a person on the planet that hadn't ogled at his picture.

_Well, this is all your fault, you know,_ a voice that sounded suspiciously like Hades said in his head. _If you had just listened to him… _

Hermes sighed, deciding then and there that he was going to be at that concert tonight.

* * *

><p>The messenger wouldn't have been able to describe the feelings that washed over him when he saw Apollo for the first time in centuries. Warmth pooled in the pit of his stomach and a cold sweat broke over his forehead. His mouth went dry. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.<p>

The spotlight hit Apollo as soon as he walked onstage. The way the light hit his hair made the tresses look like pure gold. The thick braid hung over his shoulder. The strands that were too short to be braided curled against his face.

And then he began to sing, and Hermes once again forgot how to breathe. He wasn't even sure what Apollo was singing about. Lyrics didn't matter when the voice singing them was that incredibly beautiful. It reminded him of the sound of running water, and of the sweetness that had filled his mouth the first time Loki had made him taste fudge.

"_Hurting you was my greatest mistake –" _

The way he moved was almost as beautiful as his voice. The fluidity wasn't human. It was _Apollo, _plain and simple.

About half an hour passed before Hermes began to notice the other members of the band. His jaw dropped open as he began to recognize them.

There was Nus, the god of intelligence and understanding…Kairos, the god of opportunity…Helios, the ancient god of the sun…And was that _Charon_? Hermes squinted, disbelief written across his face.

"_Is it too late for us to try again -?" _

Yes, that was definitely the boatman. How strange.

Another few minutes passed, and the current song came to an end. That was when it happened. Apollo turned his head, and his eyes fell directly on Hermes. Hermes stiffened with shock.

"_I don't want to miss one smile, I don't want to miss one kiss, I just want to be with you, right here with you, just like this…"_

This was an Aerosmith song – he had heard it before. But the lyrics had never really meant anything to him until now.

"_I just want to hold you close, feel your heart so close to mine, and just stay here in this moment for all the rest of time…"_

He tuned out the rest of the concert. His mind was reeling with memories.

The first time he had met Apollo…

_Everything about him seemed to be _golden…_Then he leaned forward, and his hair spilled over his shoulder, falling so close to the baby's face that Hermes could smell the faint scent of laurel…And he spoke in the softest voice, and the cave seemed to hum with his power…_

The first time they had kissed…

_He wasn't sure why or how it was happening, only that it _was _happening, and there wasn't any going back. If someone had told him that one day he would end up kissing Apollo, he probably would have laughed. Up until now, he had thought of Apollo as untouchable. But now that he was touching the beautiful god, he never wanted to let go. His mouth tasted sweet – it wasn't like anything Hermes had ever tasted before. It was purely Apollo. _His _Apollo. He loved how tightly the archer was holding onto him, like he was afraid to let go – his grip on Hermes' waist was so tight that the messenger would probably have bruises, but he didn't care. _

And, right then and there, in the middle of Nationwide Arena, Hermes knew that he couldn't be away from Apollo any longer. Apollo had loved him and protected him from the moment they met. They belonged to each other.

* * *

><p>He waited for Apollo in the blonde's hotel room. It was well after midnight when the archer finally arrived. Hermes was sitting on his bed, staring at Apollo in silence. They stayed like that for several moments – Apollo frozen in the doorway, Hermes frozen on the bed.<p>

"O gods," Apollo finally whispered. "I missed you."

Hermes didn't answer. He didn't think he was capable of speaking at that particular moment. But he looked up at his closest friend – his _lover – _with wide green eyes that invited Apollo to do whatever he wanted. Hug him. Kiss him. Strip him of every article of clothing and – well.

But Apollo merely stepped forward and sat as close to the messenger as he possibly could. He laid his golden head on Hermes' shoulder, burying his face in the slender neck and inhaling the comforting scent of strawberries and vanilla. Hermes embraced him, holding him as tight as he possibly could. "I'm so sorry," Hermes then whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't listen when you tried to explain."

Apollo shook his head, silently letting him know that it was alright.

They had all of eternity to make up for the lost time.


	22. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

* * *

><p>"No, no, no!" Loki shouted, waving his arms over his head and doing a weird sort of dance. "That doesn't sound right! It needs to be more – <em>bouncy.<em>"

"Oh, more _bouncy_!" Apollo exclaimed sarcastically. "If you're going to help me write, you need to be more clear."

Hermes laughed.

The three gods were in Apollo's living room. Apollo was balancing his guitar on his lap, and Loki was standing in front of him. Hermes was curled up in an armchair, watching his friend and lover. Apollo had grudgingly allowed Loki to help him compose new songs.

"Try this – " Loki snatched the guitar away from Apollo and sat on an ottoman. "_Ba da da, ba da da…" _

Hermes didn't think Apollo was listening. The blonde was glaring at Loki, murder written across his face.

"I think it sounds nice," a random voice chimed. Craning his neck around, Hermes spotted Dionysus standing behind Apollo's bar, pouring himself a glass of wine.

"You'd better not drink all of that," Apollo threatened his youngest brother. "That was a gift from Artemis."

"Oh, don't worry about it," another voice said. Artemis had appeared and was now sitting on a stool. "I have about twelve more bottles at home."

"What are you doing -?" Apollo began to ask, but someone cut him off. "Artemis, there you are!" boomed Zeus. "Hera's been looking for you, child."

"She's hardly a child anymore," grumped Hera, appearing by Zeus's elbow.

Loki, Apollo, and Hermes all stared at the four gods who had just popped into existence. Then…

"Where'd everybody go?" Ares's voice asked. He had appeared in the middle of the living room, and paused to take a look around. "What are you guys doing here? Isn't this Apollo's house?"

Before anyone could answer, there was a flash of light and Demeter appeared, Persephone alongside her. "Hi, all!" Demeter said cheerfully. "Zeus, there was something I wanted to talk to you about." Then she took notice of the crowd that had gathered in the living room. "It's kind of crowded in here, isn't it?"

"So crowded it actually makes the room look smaller," Apollo muttered.

"Oh, don't be so gloomy! It isn't good for your complexion." That was Athena's voice. Apollo groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"It really isn't," Aphrodite's voice agreed. "Oh, hi, Loki! Are you going to play us a song?"

Apollo glanced up and saw that Loki was grinning from ear to ear (which was never a good sign).

"Sure!" the Norse trickster said. "This is a song I heard Apollo singing the other day…I thought it was really great."

He strummed the guitar and began to sing, "_I'm so addicted to all the things you do when you're going down on me in between the sheets…"_

"Give me that!" Apollo cried out, snatching the guitar away from Loki. The trickster cackled.

Now that he was holding the guitar, his family members were looking at him expectantly. Apollo made a face. "Well," he asked. "What do you want me to sing?"

"Sing something for Ares!" Hermes piped up. The messenger still felt terrible for leaving the war god in favor of Apollo.

Apollo scowled. He and Ares had never gotten along very well – especially when the latter had dared to express affection for _his _Hermes. But he grudgingly sat down, adjusted the guitar, and began to play. It was the only song he could think of that suited Ares.

"_Out on the front line, don't worry, I'll be fine, the story is just beginning—I say good-bye to my weakness, so long to the regret, and now I know that I'm alive…_

_Damn, damn it all down, took one to the chest without even a sound - so what, what are you worth, the things you love or the people you hurt?" _

"A fist-first philosophy," Athena snorted. "That describes Ares _perfectly_."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ares rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to argue, but Hermes quickly said, "Play another one, Apollo!'

And so that was how the council spent the afternoon – listening to Apollo sing and play guitar. His voice was so beautiful that they never grew tired of it.

After a couple of hours had passed, Apollo put the guitar down and grimaced. "My fingers hurt."

Hermes smiled and reached forward, picking up the discarded instrument. Everyone looked at him with raised eyebrows. Though he was credited with inventing the lyre, the messenger was hardly ever heard singing or playing music.

He ignored the looks his family members were giving him, and instead gazed at Apollo. His emerald eyes were dancing. When he began to sing, Apollo smiled softly. They both loved this song. Hermes' voice was slightly higher than Apollo's, but had a sweetness to it that made everyone smile.

"_I don't know how you do what you do…I'm so in love with you…I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side…_

_The smell of your skin, the taste of your kiss, the way you whisper in the dark…your hair all around me—" _

At that line, the entire room erupted with laughter. Hermes and Apollo smiled at each other. Everyone knew that Hermes – despite his constant grumbling that Apollo needed a haircut – loved the archer's golden locks.

"You two are so adorable," Aphrodite sighed. Athena and Artemis nodded in agreement.

Ares snorted, shaking his head. "Women …" he said. "Calling two powerful gods _adorable…_"

"There isn't any other word to describe it," Athena countered.

"Must you argue about everything?" Zeus groaned, referring to Athena and Ares's never-ending dispute.

Ares and Athena both rounded on their father, and soon the entire pantheon was engaged in a heated argument. Hermes and Apollo turned to face each other.

"Let's get out of here," Hermes whispered. Apollo smiled and took his lover's hand. Hermes took flight, not knowing exactly where he planned to go. But it didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered was the god that was by his side.

* * *

><p><strong>Song #1: <em>Addicted <em>by Saving Abel**

**Song #2: _Diamond Eyes _by Shinedown**

**Song #3: _Amazed _by Lonestar**


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